A Sea of Adversity
by GenericDude
Summary: Days after the end of the Grave Eclipse, a fatal wound sends Eoleo to Belinsk in search of hospitality, but unbeknownst to him, he is about to become embroiled in a tale of love, hate and most strongly, war. Rated T for swearing and blood.
1. Chapter 1

**AU: There is a chance that the information presented in this story may be inaccurate. I'm pretty confident of my knowledge, but if there is any inaccuracy with the GS storyline, then you know why. **

A Sea of Adversity

Chapter 1

"Captain! We're under attack!"

The call of the crewmate rung through to Eoleo's ears like a harsh bell. As soon as it came into contact with his ears, he awoke from his light slumber at once. Impulsively grabbing his axe, he burst through his cabin door. As he scrambled through the ship to the stairs leading to the deck, he could hear the sounds of his crewmates yelling their battle cries, unsheathing his weapons. Mixed in with those sounds were the sounds of monsters screeching as the fighting up above started. Gritting his teeth, he sprinted up the stairs, holding his broad axe as tightly as he could.

Emerging from below decks, he gasped at the sight he saw. There was a very large group of sea monsters that had scampered up onto the decks. Lizards wielding blades, flying jellyfish, harridans flying just outside of the reaches of some of the crew's swords.

"Ah!" Eoleo shouted, running up to his first mate, Batta. He was an aged, relatively thin man with a broad, hairy chest and a strong frame despite his age, wielding a shining cutlass that outclassed the pirates' weapons around him.

"Batta, where did all these monsters come from!" Eoleo yelled. Batta, a scar covered man who had been a crewmate since Eoleo's father, Briggs's days of piracy, lowered his jagged sword to address Eoleo of the situation.

"It started off with that harridan over there!" he yelled, pointing to the harridan that was busy fighting with one of the crewmen. "We didn't want to disturb you, so we took it on. But it screeched, and then suddenly, all these monsters leapt right outta the water!"

Batta had accompanied his description with appropriate hand signals, emphasizing the severity of the situation. As Eoleo was listening, he kept his eyes on the harridan that Batta had described. Batta had turned his back to it, and as soon as his description was over, Eoleo noticed it swooping right for Batta, its beak ready to pierce a hole in the back of Batta's head.

"Batta, watch out!" Eoleo yelled, raising his axe. Batta gasped and quickly ducked as the harridan was about to strike. Yelling, Eoleo swung his axe, striking the harridan with unbelievable force. Smashing its neck with the swing, Eoleo's swing threw the battered and killed harridan right back into the waters where it came from. Batta, who watched the harridan land in the water, got back up to his feet quickly.

"Thanks, cap'n!" he said.

"No problem" Eoleo noted. "Now come and help me take those lizard fighters over there!"

They moved on to continue the fight against the monster frenzy. With Eoleo's unparalleled skill from his adventures in stopping the Grave Eclipse, the monsters were slowly dispatched one by one. As he fought, beating down monster by monster, he thought of all of his friends, including Matthew. It had only been a few days since the Grave Eclipse had been finished; he knew that Matthew, Karis and Tyrell must have had a very long voyage home ahead of them. His voyage was still heading back to Champa; having just dropped Himi off to at Yamata, he was sailing back to Champa when the attack happened.

About half an hour of fighting later, the fighting was beginning to subside. The monster invasion had been, for the most part, quelled. There were no casualties, yet Eoleo wanted to prevent any danger befalling his crew, so he fought on.

Crushing a lizard with his axe, he turned around to face a harridan, as he started to fight it, quickly gaining the upper hand, he heard a shout from one of his crew members.

"Captain, to your right!"

Slicing the harridan's wing clean off, he turned around only to see a floating jellyfish spinning right towards him. Its large, electrified tentacles swung wildly, laced with poison, and before Eoleo could stop himself from being hit, one of the tentacles struck him square in the shoulder. The searing sensation of an electric shock exploded from Eoleo's shoulder as he yelled, clutching his wound as tightly as he could.

"The captain's hurt!" he heard Batta yell. "Whose got the spare herbs?"

"I have!" a crewman yelled as he approached the reeling Briggs whilst another pirate killed the jellyfish with a perfect shot from his bow and arrow, hitting it square in the head and shooting it off the boat. The crewman approached Briggs to see his shoulder bleeding a little from a cut caused by the whip of the tentacle, quickly surrounding with a red, sore rash. It was partly concealed by the strap of Eoleo's leather chest plate.

"Don't worry Captain Eoleo" the crewman said, undoing the strap of the chest plate. "I'll fix you up in no time!"

Little did the crewman know, a surviving lizard had pushed one of the pirates to the floor, making his way for Eoleo. Eoleo spotted the threat and tried to push the crewman away to attack, but the sting surging from his arm caused him to stumble. The crewman, only suddenly realizing there was something behind him turned around, only to be struck aside by the lizard. Eoleo stumbled, fumbling for a strong grip on his axe so he could attack.

Like a flash, he watched in horror as the lizard fighter lunged forward, its jagged sword piercing through Eoleo's abdomen. The pain was unbearable as the sword cut into him; he could feel the cold, cold steel plunging right through his muscle, paralysing Eoleo's nerves on the spot as his mind was overloaded with shock and agony. Just as the lizard fighter pulled the sword out, Batta unsheathed his knife and slit the lizard's throat before plunging the knife into the back of its head. Leaving the knife in the dying beast, he quickly went to Eoleo, who had fallen to the floor from his grievous wound.

Eoleo could feel his whole world turning as he fell to the floor. The sword had managed to plunge about a third of the way through Eoleo's body. He felt his blood, cold as ice, seeping profusely out of his stab wound. He breathed erratically, unable to maintain control of his own body as it spasmed in reaction to the stab. He felt the pain pulsing agonizingly out of the spot just under his left lung; he struggled to breathe.

"Eoleo!" Batta yelled as he knelt down to his captain's side. "Someone, get a bandage, now!"

As the crewmen around him worked busier than ever, fending off the last of the monsters and working to try and save Eoleo's life, Batta dragged Eoleo up to the pole of the crow's nest, propping him up against it. Carefully, he removed the sword from Eoleo's stomach whilst taking extra care not to elongate the laceration with the spiky edges of the blade. After a relative easy effort, he threw the released sword over board. Ripping his shirt right off, he placed it against the wound to slow the bleeding, causing Eoleo to scream in pain.

"Eoleo, speak to me!" Batta instructed as soon as Eoleo had calmed slightly, dropping his captain's title in the heat of the situation.

"A-ah….Batta…" Eoleo breathed harshly, trying to contain his pain and remain conscious. "Th-there's so much blood….aaah!" he yelled. His face was quickly coating in cold sweat; Batta felt himself panicking slightly as he saw not only his captain, but also his friend slowly dying in front of him. He looked back to the sickening trail of blood that was left where Eoleo had been dragged, gelatinous and still warm. Shuddering, he saw two of his crewmen running towards him, one with bandages and one with bottles of rum.

As the two knelt down, Batta hoisted Eoleo slowly from the pole so that the bandages could reach around his back. As every wrap of the bandage went around, Eoleo yelled in pain. Batta closed his eyes, unable to watch Eoleo's agony, before gritting his teeth and looking at the bandages. The crewman had made a very good effort, tying the bandage cleanly. Some of the blood was staining through the white bandages, but the blood flow had stopped. As Batta rested Eoleo back against the pole, the second crewman opened a bottle of rum.

"Drink this" he said in a clumsy voice, bringing the bottle to his Eoleo's mouth. As he did, Batta gasped and grabbed the bottle furiously.

"No, don't, you idiot!" he yelled. "Can't you see he's abdomen punctured? The rum'll seep right through him, it'll cause more damage than leisure!" Batta then looked at the bottle of rum, usually used as a painkiller. He passed the bottle back to the crewman, before yanking the second bottle and handing it to the bandage crewman. "Take his shoes off and drench his hands and feet with the rum. Don't empty the bottles in one go, soak his hands and feet and wait for the rum to get absorbed, then pour some more"

The crewmen understood the instructions and proceeded to remove Eoleo's boots before drenching him in the cool rum. As they did, Batta looked back up at Eoleo, who was clenching his eyes shut and breathing through his gritted teeth in harsh breaths.

"Eoleo, how're you coping?" he asked, reassuringly holding his captain's good shoulder. The injury on his other shoulder had been overlooked, and the crewmen had forgotten an important detail that Eoleo was quick to remind them.

"Batta….ah, I feel s-sick" he breathed harshly. "I-I…I feel…u-ugh….."

"Eoleo, what's wrong, why are you going pale?" Batta asked, putting a hand to Eoleo's forehead. It was cold and moist to the touch.

"Jellyfish tentacle…laced….with poison….nnggaaaahhh!" he uttered. Every breath he took stretched his cut abdomen, causing him continuous pain. Batta looked at the wound to his shoulder, which had gone swollen and purple, oozing a sickly colored liquid from the wound.

"Your shoulder…" Batta said quietly. He quickly reached into his pocket for his antidote herbs, pulling out his entire sprig. Haphazardly, shaking with nerves, he rolled up the leaves vigorously with his hands, turning the leaves to a mush, before rubbing it delicately on his shoulder. Batta had used the antidote herbs before on himself when he had been jellyfish struck, the stuff worked wonders on him. As he finished applying the medicine, he looked at Eoleo, who appeared groggy and fading out of consciousness. He realized that Eoleo wasn't recovering with the ship's supplies.

"…Ah…shit!" Batta yelled, running out of ideas.

"Batta…" Eoleo groaned, opening his eyes. "Wh-what's the closest city from here?"

Batta quickly stood up and looked around him. During the battle, the ship had been aimlessly drifting, and to Batta's horror, he realized that they were nowhere near Champa. In fact, they had drifted further north, past Tonfon, during the battle.

Luckily, Batta, having been one of Briggs's best crewmen back in the day, had a very keen eye for landscape. He could tell where the closest city would be from the shape of the land he had seen so many times during his voyages. He looked at the faintly visible landmass in front of him, recognizing the shape of the city from the distance. He gulped in fear, knowing where they were.

"…The closest city from here is Belinsk" he said fearfully. Through his pain, Eoleo managed to twitch his eyebrows, showing his confusion.

"How did that…happen?" he asked.

"We must have drifted during the fight…big time" Batta explained. Eoleo groaned in pain, moving his head to try and stay awake.

"T-Take me there then" he ordered. "When you get to dock…raise the white flags and show them to me. D-Don't…show any aggression….or this i-is all for naught…." He uttered. Normally, Batta would be opposed to the idea, but seeing Eoleo in such a terrible state, he remembered his pirate's vows and started to recite a section of them.

"To dive into an endless sea of adversity for the captain…I swore that to your father many years ago, and I swear that to you to…Captain" Batta said, standing up, welling with emotion. "Set sail for Belinsk, NOW! All idle crewmen remove your shirts to keep the captain warm! I want all oarsmen and the drum beater down there moving as fast as possible; adjust the damn mast and catch the wind! We must save the captain!" he ordered. The crewmen obliged instantly and many moved down below, placing their shirts on whatever part of Eoleo was exposed to the outdoors, before taking up their places on the oars. Batta took to the wheel of the ship, steering it full speed towards Belinsk. Taking a deep breath, he suppressed his hatred for the beastmen. This was for Eoleo.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

By the time the boat was within swimming distance of Belinsk's docks, dusk had started to fall. Batta ordered his crewmen to fetch out the white flags of surrender. He hated the thought of having to give himself up, but Eoleo's command rung in his head louder than any of his thoughts.

Up on the deck, Eoleo was barely conscious. His bandage had started to loosen from the blood and was seeping blood once again, forcing the crewmen to swap the old bandage for a new one. Three bottles of rum had been emptied on Eoleo's hands and feet, practically soaking him in the booze. Quite a lot of it had absorbed into Eoleo's bloodstream, causing Eoleo to become groggy, but more importantly, sedated from the pain.

As the boat reached the dock, they heard the Belinsk alarms ringing, summoning a handful of troops to the dock. They had seen the surrender flags, yet a large force met them as they slowly maneuvered into the dock. The pirates dropped their weapons before throwing the ropes to the Belinsk soldiers, who hooked them up to land. As the pirates put their walking plank against land, the troops organised themselves into a defensive line, almost as if they were defending the dock from the pirates.

The battalion of armoured troops parted in the middle, revealing a beast man dressed in a large, silver breastplate and blue shoulder pads. There was a cape wrapped around just above the breastplate and under the shoulder plates, spreading over his shoulders before falling to the floor, almost covering his entire body in a dark blue backdrop from the colour of the cape's fabric. His large, powerful bare arms were barely visible beneath the sweeping motions of the cape due to the wind, his black, plated gauntlets fully revealed from the swaying cape. There were two armoured, bullet shaped plates that covered the sides of his thighs, reaching down to the area just above his knees. they were held together with belts and also held a second garment that hung behind the man's spine, dropping a second cloak-like garment in front of his main cape; almost resembling an skirt with an opening in the middle, where his grey, baggy trousers and armoured boots could be visibly seen.

His face was one of a jackal's, with pale blue fur. His eyes were dark and focused, his mouth was slightly twisted in a frown. He appeared cold, somewhat ruthless, empowering. As he stepped up to the top of the plank with a steady, balanced pace, unaffected by the wobble of the plank, he cleared his throat loudly.

"What business do you have here, pirates?" the general said, spitting onto the deck in disgust. The deck was drenched in blood and the remains of monsters that had begun to rot, filling the boat's atmosphere with an unpleasant smell.

"Our cap'n is in serious danger" Batta said, trying to control his anger, unable to stand the general's sneering face. "We docked here so he could get help"

"I can see you've been up to your bloodthirsty ways, what with all these stains" the general hummed. He then winced and waved a hand in front of his nose mockingly. "And the _smell_ is absolutely repugnant. Must I remind you that you're interrupting a highly emotional service? We're currently mourning the passing of the victims of the Grave Eclipse…" The general, backed up by his armored soldiers wielding spears, spoke with a very patronizing, posh accent. His voice turned darker as he continued. "… and you have the _gall _to come here, dressed in your _rags_ and your _tatters,_ demanding service from us?"

"But you don't understand, we're not here to cause trouble!" Batta pleaded, his nostrils flaring. "Our captain's been stabbed and he's dying! If you can't save him, then he's gonna die!"

"We couldn't care less about your captain" the general huffed, puffing his chest out, his height being slightly larger than Batta's. "Turn your ship and leave now, or we'll have you all arrested and executed tomorrow morning. Face it, your sorry little captain dies, one way or the other"

Batta stamped on the floor with his feet, stepping right up to the sneering general and looking him right in the eye.

"Listen here, you punk!" he grunted, seething with rage. "You don't talk about the captain like that! You save his life now, or me and all my mates will gut this place!"

"How dare you!" the general growled, not moving an inch. "Men! Arrest them now!"

Just as the guards started to cross the plank, Eoleo let out a howl of pain. Batta flinched, looking to his captain.

"Eoleo!" he called in worry. As the name escaped Batta's lips, the general froze in his steps.

"…What did you say?" he barked suddenly. Noticing his men were gathering behind him, he spun on his heels.

"Stop! Stop!" he yelled at them in frustration, waving his hands erratically. He then turned to Batta, clutching his tattered shirt as he marched onto the boat, staining his robes with the mess on the deck.

"What did you call him?" he ordered.

"Eoleo. What about it?" Batta replied defiantly. The general opened his eyes in fear and turned his eyes to the figure leaning against the crow's nest pole, looking right back at him, breathing shallowly. The general let go of Batta, still looking at Eoleo, before stepping back.

"_Eoleo!_" he thought to himself. "_Isn't that the name of the man who joined Queen Sveta in ending the Grave Eclipse? No, it's not possible!_"

He jerked his head to reexamine Eoleo. "_Ah, it **is** him!_" he thought quickly. "_The red hair, the pirates, it has to be him! Argh…if the queen is close friends with this man, then she'd be livid if I were to turn him away to his death! But I can't let these pirates just take advantage of us! Argh...what do I do?_"

His mind acted quickly as he turned to Batta once more, conjuring a proposition. As he did, one of the guards cleared his throat.

"…General Stamford" the guard asked. "Shall we…"

"Silence!" the general yelled. Clearing his own throat, he snarled at Batta.

"Fine, we'll take him into the palace for treatment" he admitted, snarling. "But in exchange, you must all surrender yourselves and spend the night in our prisons. You'll be lucky if I don't have you _all _executed, but if you're so determined to save your captain, then you will agree, no?" he bargained. Batta sighed; he knew he would end up spending the night in some form of discomfort. But he had to do it. Looking around slowly, he saw the expression of every crewmember, each and every one willing to comply for the life of their captain. Having finished looking, he turned back to the general.

"…We agree" he said in defeat.

"Good" the general sneered. "I am General Stamford; remember the name well, pirate. Guards! Take these brigands to the cells. As for the injured one, handle him carefully and take him to the infirmaries. If he dies….you're all sacked" he said monotonously.

Acknowledging the order at once, the guards walked up onto the ship as the pirates surrendered themselves. They were handcuffed, one by one, and led off of the boat in a single file line, flanked by both sides by a seemingly endless stream of guards. Two of the guards walked up to Eoleo, carrying a stretcher. Rolling Eoleo onto the stretcher, his face looking upwards to the now night sky, the guards lifted him and carried him off of the boat, taking him to the castle with speed. Stamford caught a look of Eoleo's ailing face as he was hauled off of the ship and away into the depths of the castle through a secret entrance. Batta, whilst being handcuffed, also watched as his captain was taken off of the boat.

"Eoleo….please make it through this" he grunted to himself as he was nudged off of the boat by the guards.

As Eoleo was laid onto the stretcher, smelling of a disgustingly pungent rum and blood mixture, he appeared to be in a semi conscious state. He was rushed quickly into the infirmaries, where the Belinsk doctors excused themselves from the memorial to prepare themselves. As Eoleo was laid out upon a wooden table, the doctors removed the bandages, revealing the disgusting wound in his abdomen. Administering their anesthetics and herbs, they set to work.

Eoleo couldn't remember a single thing when he fell out of consciousness. All his pain faded away as his senses shut down, one by one. After hours and hours of pain, the final thing he could remember was the realization that he was dropping out of the world, sighing a breath of relief. He wasn't sure if he was going to die, but he didn't feel nervous about anything. In addition, he felt somewhat defiant that the anesthetic couldn't knock him out before his own body could.

His last thought was that if he were going to die, then he would be with his father again. The image of Briggs flared in his memory before everything faded to black.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

"I think he's coming to"

"Okay. Please let be alone with him"

"As you wish, Your Highness"

The blackness that surrounded him completely slowly started to fill with an oval shaped light. Feeling surged back into his body, and strangely enough, no pain could be felt as he opened his eyes; the colors of the room flooded his eyes and senses. His mouth tasted sickly, but in a feeling of self-defiance, it didn't matter. He knew from the moment he heard the voices that he had survived. Straining his eyes to see better, he saw a figure sat next to him by the luxurious bed he was laid in.

"Good morning…Eoleo" the figure said. Eoleo felt his heart jump a little as the voice registered with his brain. He knew who was sat beside him, it was Sveta.

He tried to sit up so he could address her, but as soon as he moved in the slightest, a great rush of pain exploded from his abdomen. He gasped in pain as a pair of delicate hands softly placed themselves on his broad shoulders and laid him back down onto the bed.

"Please, don't move!" she pleaded. "You've only just woken up, your wound is still raw!"

Eoleo gritted his teeth, unhappy to be feeling the same pain again. Strangely though, as he was laid back down, he could feel a weird aura surrounding him. Like magic, the pain dissipated as his head rested against the pillow. He realized that she was using her Boon Psynergy on him to ease his pain.

"There…that's better" she sighed to herself, taking her hands away. She looked down to Eoleo, who looked somewhat at peace in the bed. Eoleo opened his eyes and looked at her, examining her. She was dressed in clothes that were a lot more formal and royal that the last time he had seen her. Of course, he thought, she was a queen now! He quickly remembered the exchange both Batta and Stamford had on the boat and realized that all his crewmen were being held in the prisons.

"My men…are they safe?" Eoleo asked, surprised to find that talking was relatively easy now in comparison to before.

"I'm afraid we couldn't give them…better accommodation" Sveta said grudgingly. "I spoke with Stamford, and I personally didn't like the way he bargained with you. I wish the timing of your arrival could have been a little better, however…"

"I didn't know you were having a memorial service" Eoleo said quietly, his breathing a slow and relaxed pattern of inhales and exhales. "Had I known, I would have picked a better time to gatecrash"

The two of them fell into an awkward silence at that point. Eoleo's memory was coming back to him in pieces, and it was at that moment when the most important piece of information appeared in his mind. It caused Eoleo's heartbeat to rise significantly as he realized that he wasn't always at good terms with Sveta, or all of Belinsk in fact. The fact that Eoleo was once a prisoner himself in the city, near the brink of death when he was rescued burned brightly in his memory. Accompanied by the swift discovery of his father's death, he remembered what made him so uncomfortable in that moment.

His grudge against Belinsk.

Admittedly, it had waned a little since the end of the Grave Eclipse, but the painful memories of his captivation never left him. No matter who was at the throne, no apologies would remove the painful feeling of being strung in a steel cage and left to starve on meager leftovers, constantly under the threat of death by boiling. The severe hunger, the bitter cold of the nights and the blazing heat of the days. It was beyond awful, and his brightest memory was of shaking the iron bars of the cage, screaming every day to be let free.

"…Can I ask a favor?" Eoleo asked. Sveta jumped as Eoleo spoke, frightened by the sudden break of silence. "I have a crewmate in the prison cell named Batta. Can you bring him to me?"

Nodding her head, she hummed in acknowledgement before standing from her chair and moving out to the door. Reaching for the handle, she turned her head around.

"Your food should be arriving soon" she explained. "I hope you can eat it all, you'll need the strength in order to recover"

With that, she left Eoleo's thoughts to fester. Turning to look back at the ceiling, he closed his eyes. To think for just a minute that Sveta would give Eoleo the comfort and shelter that he needed, when only a month or two ago, he was in a far worse position provided by the same people! He understood the fact that Volecheck had been deluded by the Tuarapang, and that their actions had caused him to sour relations with Sana and Bilibin, but at the same time, he came to realize that he was merely a pawn that Belinsk was planning to use to demonstrate their powers. And if there was one thing that Eoleo despised being, it was a pawn.

A rage started to build inside of him, causing him to ignore his pain as he hoisted himself to sit up. Folding his arms, he looked at all the fancy embroidery that was knit into his duvet. Such a rich looking silk, Eoleo had none of that back in Champa. Just a straw bed and his own clothes. The only quilt Eoleo had was his father's, aboard his own ship. He seethed with anger at the stupidity of Belinsk's politics; why would they think to attack cities and countries clearly poorer than themselves, just to show an example? He wasn't the only one as well: the name escaped Eoleo's mind, but he knew there was a girl who was waiting for the same mode of execution at the same time as him.

This was why he held an everlasting grudge against Belinsk. He was a pawn to them, and even now, their people still despised Champa. He remembered the way that Stamford spoke of him and his crew when they landed in Belinsk: disparagingly. Even though he was being treated very well, it was only because he happened to be in the group that stopped the Grave Eclipse. Every other member of his crew was currently in the prison cells, doing far worse than he himself. It sickened him how, of all people, Sveta could be inconsistent with the treatment of people. Eoleo was a Champan, just like every member of his crew and felt sick at the fact that his fellow countrymen were being ill treated.

The door knocked suddenly, disrupting Eoleo's trail of thought. Before Eoleo could heed the call, the door opened, revealing a maid carrying a tray full of food.

"Here is your breakfast, sir" the maid explained, laying the tray down on Eoleo's lap. There was a faint smell of Muscat grapes coming from the maid in the form of a wafting perfume scent. Eoleo took a deep breath of it in, almost intoxicated by the smell. Looking to the maid, her warm smile seemed to soothe Eoleo's raging fires, reducing them to brewing ashes. As the maid left and closed the door, Eoleo sighed. Despite everything he did believe, despite every reason there was to hate Belinsk and its people, Eoleo couldn't help but see Sveta as a kind person. She struck Eoleo was being quite naïve, and despite all the potential for bad blood, she had been willing to take Eoleo in and heal him without word. He could even remember during his captivity that Sveta was the only one who didn't show any hatred towards him, unlike the rest of the city and its denizens. It was that fact that Eoleo was able to forgive Belinsk for all it's flaws, hoping that under Sveta's rule, things would be a lot better than it was before.

He quickly remembered about his own kinship to the 'throne' of Champa. In truth he was only taking over leadership duties from his father, but Eoleo knew that he would have to improve relations with different countries whilst retaining the spirit of the sea within the community. Maybe Belinsk would be the first to see a peace pact? The possibilities were endless, and throughout his breakfast, he fantasized the many different things he could undertake upon his leaving.

Meanwhile, down in the prison cells, the pirates were having a less jolly time. They had all been thrown into a rather stuffy square cell that was able to fit all of them in. They had no weapons, and Batta was unofficially in charge of them inside the cell. The situation was grim for them; they were fed on food lacking in healthy benefit by miles. Even worse than that, some of the pirates had been wounded during the battle. The medical equipment was all left on the boat, meaning that under the poor conditions, the wounds were festering, and morale was running low.

"Batta, I don't know how long we can hold out here" one of the crewmen reported. "Some of the wounded are complaining of headaches and the lot"

Batta released an exasperated sigh. It had only been one night, but it was a night that everybody was ready to forget once they could leave. Questions were being raised within the cell: when could they leave? Was Eoleo okay?

"I'm guessing we've run out of herbs then?" Batta asked. The crewman nodded, to which Batta gritted his teeth and looked at the iron bars that blocked them from the escape.

"Damn that Stamford" Batta said quietly. "It's his fault we're being treated like crap"

"I wonder if he's ever gonna let us leave" the crewman murmured. "I mean, both Briggs and Captain Eoleo have done things to Belinsk that no other pirate on the seas would ever dream of!"

"Speaking of Captain Eoleo, how is the morale in the group about his condition?" Batta asked. The crewman released a weary, toothy smile.

"Everyone's strong with their pledge, sir" the crewman reported. "We'll die for Captain Eoleo, just as we swore for his dad"

The door outside of the cell opened with a loud creak, silencing every pirate as they looked to the door. A trio of beastmen walked into the room, a pair of guards flanking Sveta. Batta walked up to the iron bars, clutching the cold metal with his dirty hands.

"Are you Batta?" Sveta asked, her voice soft on the ears of every pirate in the cell.

"Aye" Batta answered. "What are you going to do to us, huh?" he asked with attitude. Sveta was clearly uncomfortable with having to confront Batta, who was far bigger than her in stature. She knew she could destroy everybody in the cell with her powers, but she hated the thought of confrontation and the severe politics it would involve.

"…Eoleo wants to see you" Sveta revealed. Batta's eyes opened at the revelation before he cleared his throat and turned to his fellow men.

"I'll be back, okay?" he assured them. "I'll tell Eoleo about how you're all coping" He could hear the iron gate opening behind him. Swerving around, he walked through the opening in the cell, allowing Sveta to lead him up to Eoleo's chambers.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

"Your friend is here to see you"

The same maid who had delivered Eoleo his breakfast had returned with Batta in tow, having transferred him from Sveta. As Batta revealed himself, still topless from relinquishing his shirt on the boat, Eoleo felt his heart rise in joy at seeing his friend relatively unharmed. The maid took the tray with the finished breakfast on it and silently left the room, leaving the two pirates to themselves.

"Captain…" Batta sighed, glad to see his friend in safe hands.

"Ah, Batta" Eoleo spoke quietly, evidently weak from his injury. The two were encompassed in a slightly awkward atmosphere; neither would imagine the other deep within the Belinsk castle like this.

"I'm glad to see you're not bleeding anymore, heh" Batta noted.

"How are the boys?" Eoleo asked, nudging his head as if to gesture to beneath the floors, where Eoleo surmised the prison cells would be. It was unnerving to watch Batta scrunch his eyes in a distraught manner upon hearing the question.

"Not good, to be frank" he said plainly, scratching his head. "Some of the crewmen got injured during the fight, and their wounds are festering"

"Festering?" Eoleo asked, clearly angered that his men were kept poorly. "What about medicine? Didn't you bring any from the ship?"

Batta shook his head.

"When that general ordered us to be arrested, we didn't have time to go and fetch medicine. All we had were a few herbs that were on us during the fight and we've used them all up"

"Agh…" Eoleo grunted in frustration. He hated the fact that his own men were in pain, at his own expense as well. They were his crew and he was responsible for their well-being; he knew he had to help somehow.

"Is it severe?" Eoleo asked.

"It could be" Batta replied. "I don't know how much time we have before those wounds get really infected. What are we gonna do, captain?"

Eoleo looked down at his quilt, thinking as hard as he could. He was torn in a decision that would have put his hospitality at risk. The crew had sacrificed a lot for his safety, he thought maybe he should do the same, even if it meant being a nuisance to the Belinsk throne, a nuisance to Sveta.

"…The next time I see Sveta, I'll ask her if she can tend to you all" Eoleo said.

"That's a risky move, captain" Batta argued. "We don't wanna put you at risk for our own good; that goes against our pledges you know"

"I'm the captain, right?" Eoleo asked suddenly. Batta was surprised by the question, jumping at the suddenness of its delivery.

"O-Of course you are" Batta confirmed. Eoleo then let out a smile.

"Then consider this an order from the cap'n" he said. "I want you and the other guys to hand tight and survive down there. I'm going to ask Sveta if she can give you medicine and accommodate you somewhere a little better, seeming you are my crew and all. I'll also have your wounds tended to, and if she refuses, well we keelhaul out of here and fix our wounds back at Champa" he explained. Batta absorbed the plan into his mind, scratching his chest as he considered the plan.

"...I still think it's asking a little too much" Batta spoke. "We can survive in the cell"

"Okay…" Eoleo admitted, before looking down to his quilt in disappointment. Batta shook his head, sighing deeply.

"Captain, this is a tricky situation here" Batta explained. "We can't be trying to bargain our way through this like we usually do"

"If I were my father right now…" Eoleo said quietly. "…I'd be walking right out of this bed and making my way back to the ship, bringing you all with me. We'd probably pillage this place while we were at it, too. But I'm not as tough as my father…"

"Captain, that's not always a bad thing" Batta explained, yanking a chair and setting it down next to Eoleo's bed, sitting on it. "When I was part of Briggs's crew, perhaps we were worked to the bone and did things that we don't do nowadays. But that's not to say you're a great captain too, you know?"

Eoleo let out a piteous chuckle, shaking his head.

"You're praising me far too much" he murmured, wincing in pain slightly from moving too much.

"You're still young" Batta continued. "Maybe as pirates, we're not doing as much pillaging or actually being 'pirates' so to speak. But it's because the times are changing, my boy!" Batta said brightly. "Remember lad, we **had **to pillage back in those days because Champa was wrought with famine. The last thirty years however has brought us great fortune, with the rise of the Golden Sun and whatnot. We can finally grow crops in Champa and there are a lot more fish to be found in the seas. The need for pillaging and daring pirate antics has lowered now that we can fill our stomachs with our own food for once"

Eoleo's gaze was fixed upon where his knees were hidden beneath the duvet for a prolonged period of time, before he finally nodded his head in acceptance and looked up to his first mate.

"You're right" he said, smiling after a long silence. "Times have gotten better for Champa, haven't they? Still, I feel disappointed that I don't seem to match my father's integrity" Batta started to laugh in response, confusing Eoleo. He waved his hand as if to dismiss the comment.

"You've nothing to worry about" Batta reassured. "If your father could see you now, he would be beaming with pride"

"Tell me, Batta" Eoleo asked. "…Did Dad have any injuries like this before?"

Batta let out a series of short coughs, controlling them with his fisted hand, before clearing his throat.

"He did" Batta said shortly. "But your father wasn't a man of close calls, you see. The injuries that he sustained throughout his life were small, but many. He was very lucky not to be dealt a damaging blow like you have…well, until the very end, anyhow" Batta said solemnly. But Eoleo was now curious.

"You mean…my stab wound…" he said slowly. "My father never got hurt this badly until he died?"

"That's right, my boy" Batta confirmed. "To see you here talking to me is a miracle, if I'll be honest. Through my sixty years of living, I've seen pirates being torn apart by many an opponent: pirate, monster or otherwise. When I saw that lizard plunge that sword into your gut, I thought you were done for. But you pulled through; no matter how much blood you were losing, you refused to die. That's why I said your dad would have been proud earlier. You're a prime fighter, my boy"

"Ah, Batta…" Eoleo said, slightly emotional at the speech. "You're like a second father to me, you know?"

"I know, boy" Batta murmured, nodding with a beaming smile on his face revealing his toothy grin. "I've known you since you were that tall" He opened his hand and held it around his shin, creating a size comparison with the floor. Eoleo started to laugh, but the pain of his wound surged back, turning his laugh into a wince and a delicate cough. As he finished coughing, his smile returned as he looked back at Batta.

"You're not too bad a fighter yourself" Eoleo joked. Batta started to laugh, flattered by Eoleo's compliment.

"I do what I can" Batta said quietly. The door then knocked, revealing the same recurring maid who had tended to Eoleo.

"I'm afraid your visiting time is up, sir" the maid explained. Batta waved his hand in a gesture before hoisting himself up to his feet with the back of the chair.

"I'd better be getting back to check up on the crewmen" Batta said forlornly, unhappy to be returning to his cage.

"I'll talk to Sveta the first moment I see her" Eoleo promised. "Just hold on until I do"

"Aye, aye, Captain" Batta spoke. "...I've never really been fond of this place, but I guess I'll just have to learn to like it" he added, saluting before walking out of the room, leaving Eoleo to himself again.

Up within the throne room, however, the atmosphere was about to become slightly unpleasant. Ever since the pirates had first arrived, the moment of confronting them had been stuck inside Stamford's head. Stamford was a highly decorated commander and general of Belinsk's forces. He had served Volecheck faithfully during his tenure as king, and was known for his distaste of the human race. During the time when Morgal's relations with Sana and Bilibin were tense, Stamford was at the forefront of the military operations, willing Volecheck to launch a severe attack on both countries. Stamford himself knew that if the Grave Eclipse hadn't been activated, he would have launched his attacks, tearing any peace between the countries apart for what he saw as the greater good of the beastmen.

The Grave Eclipse had only served to intensify his dislike for the human race, but more importantly, he gained an extreme hatred for Champa, especially during Briggs's confrontations. As a result, knowing that the capital was housing a Champan in their highly refined quarters boiled his blood, and he knew he had to speak with someone about it. Taking his high ranking close to his heart, he marched right up to the throne room and knelt in front of Sveta, whose reign as queen was literally a week old.

"General Stamford…" Sveta said quietly. Sveta had always been nervous of Stamford, whose passionate yet calculated approaches to military matters conflicted with her strive for peace. Stamford had voiced his opinions on how the military should be run to Sveta before, and although their conflict had yet to grow tense, it was clear that the two stood on different viewpoints on the debate.

"Your Majesty" Stamford addressed, standing back on his two feet. "I have come here to address…a certain problem that has been bugging me"

"A problem?" Sveta asked.

"It regards our new visitors, Your Highness" Stamford explained. Sveta gulped; she knew where this was going.

"You must be referring to the Champan pirates we have housed here, correct?" she asked. Stamford replied with a nod, before clearing his throat.

"Now I know that you and I don't exactly agree with each other, but I believe, as do you, that something should be done about these pirates. May I remind you that they interrupted a very special ceremony?"

Sveta sighed, shaking her head. Arguing with Stamford was tiring work, and it only served to frustrate her.

"I understand that you dislike the pirates we have here right now" Sveta reasoned. "But you have to understand that the reason they are here is because of Eoleo. He's in severe pain and needs our hospitality. Now I've been lenient enough to grant your request that they stay in the cells, but if I'm right in saying that I know what you want to tell me, then the answer is no" she said straightly.

"But you don't understand, my queen" Stamford uttered, trying his best to urge a smile. "I accept that Eoleo is here, but the rest of those pirates need to be dealt with! If they had the chance, they would pillage us and leave with their coffers full of Belinskian gold, I know it!" He struck his palm with his fist as he started to pace from left to right in a feverous state. "I have dealt with them before when your brother held the throne, I know all about their mentality! They can't be forgiven, and especially for interrupting our memorial service"

"Stamford, do _not _raise your voice at me" Sveta spoke with a powerful, angered tone, halting Stamford's pacing swiftly. "I intend for them to leave once Eoleo is fully healed. But I will not subdue his crewmen. If I did…Eoleo would never forgive me"

"…I understand" Stamford said quickly, bowing. "Good day" Without another word, he quickly walked out of the room, the throne room doors closing behind him. As soon as they did, he retreated to his quarters, brooding in his own thoughts with a frustrated state of mind.

"I can't get through to her!" he thought to himself, pacing wildly in his room. "How can she forgive the Champans so quickly for everything they've done? They brought chaos to our humble city, and even now they subjugate us as they please! Sveta will allow anyone to bend her arm, yet when I try to warn her, she staunchly refuses to believe that something is severely amiss!"

He quickly paced to the window, looing out to the bustling city below.

"Why, if Volecheck were still alive and in rule, we wouldn't be stuck in this trivial state!" he spoke quietly to himself. "Volecheck was a man of action! He didn't allow pirates to shelter themselves in our great city, let alone hospitalize them! If he were at the throne, he would have executed each and every one of them for interrupting our memorial service! It is this _sickening _leniency that Sveta demonstrates which is to blame for out ridiculous state of affairs!"

Catching his breath, he sat down by his desk.

"Why, I don't know how much further she'll continue this farce" he said quietly, brooding over his military contracts. He picked up one of the official royal orders which detailed a large cut in the military numbers and a complete curb on patrols outside the city. "I mean, this is just preposterous. Not only do my military suffer from her stupid peace plans, but also now she lets outsiders set up camp within our very own castle! The girl is insane! She's unfit to rule!"

Throwing the papers to the floor, Stamford caught his breath once again before looking out to the window, back hunched.

"Well, if this continues, I'll be left with little choice…"


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

The following morning after breakfast, Eoleo was quietly sitting up in his bed, thinking about his thoughts the previous day. Perhaps he had been a little harsh on his opinions. Despite this, he still felt his grudge. Hour by hour passed through his sleepless night, and he decided that he would talk with Sveta about it. Surely she would understand?

At the same time as yesterday, Sveta timed her appearance in Eoleo's chamber, knocking the door in the same, soft fashion. Eoleo was still too weak to call out for the door, so Sveta opened the door and walked in. She was dressed in her same royal robe, and for the first time, Eoleo noticed the platinum, diamond encrusted tiara that was perched in her hair.

"Good morning, Eoleo" she said, a faint smile on her lips. Eoleo exhaled, his own smile coaxed to appear. As Sveta approached the bed and sat down on the chair left by Batta the previous day, she started to roll up her royal silk sleeves. As she did, Eoleo's curiosity was piqued.

"What are you doing?" he asked.

"I'm going to try and heal your wound" she answered. "I've decided that in order to get you patched up, I'll have to do some of the work myself. I hope you don't mind"

Eoleo watched as she revealed her bare, clawed hands. He felt nervous; the claws reminded him of being gouged open by the lizard's blade. He felt sweat form on his neck, and suddenly, a mixture of irritation and sting emanated from his arm. He started to moan in pain as this new pain appeared; he had completely forgotten about the tentacle sting he received back on the ship. Had the injury been overlooked? Sveta noticed Eoleo's grimacing as she was placing her hands just above Eoleo's stab wound.

"Are you okay?" she asked reassuringly.

"My shoulder….I got wounded on my shoulder as well" Eoleo revealed. Sveta looked at Eoleo in surprise; this had not been brought to her attention.

"Which shoulder?" she asked, suddenly moving her hands away and making her way for his shirt. Eoleo was startled by Sveta's urge to heal him. Shrugging any suspicion away, he gestured to his right shoulder where the irritation was coming from. He raised his own, muscled arm and pulled the neck of his shirt so the wound could be shown.

"…Oh, it's just a scratch" she said, smiling a little. "Here, let me tend to it" She moved her hands up to Eoleo's shoulder and closed her eyes, summoning her energy. Eoleo felt the tingling sensation of her Psynergy working on his wound as the healing process caused the rashy infection to shrink away into his skin. Soon, the itching stopped and Eoleo felt the relief of not having to bear another wound on him.

"There" Sveta said, leaning back from Eoleo's shoulder. Eoleo hadn't really fully acknowledged Sveta's presence since the moment he entered Belinsk a bleeding mess. His conflicting thoughts about Belinsk and the beastman species had taken up a lot of his energy and attention, he hadn't really paid very much attention to Sveta by his side. It surprised him that the girl healing his wounds had not only a week ago gone through her own tragedies and victories. Tragedies and victories that they had both shared.

Looking down, he saw that Sveta was already working her magic on Eoleo's stab wound. Eoleo could feel his insides churning: he was going to be sick.

"Aaahhh….I need a bucket" he said quickly. "S-Sveta, I need a-a…" But before he could finish his sentence, his stomach contracted and a foul, yellow bile surged out of Eoleo's mouth, splattering all over his duvet. Sveta yelped and jumped back before her robes could be stained by the vomit, but the silk covers suffered greatly. Eoleo clutched his abdomen in severe pain as the remainder of the foul smelling vomit dribbled out of his mouth.

"Oh my…this is disgusting" Sveta groaned, her head tilted away from the mess Eoleo had made.

"Sveta…I'm sorry" Eoleo uttered, wiping his mouth feebly. He turned to look at Sveta, who appeared to be frightened from the sudden vomiting. In his delusional state, he finally noticed a few things about Sveta that really stood out: her large eyes, her fur, the long braids of grey hair that hung down from her head and behind her back. Her bare feet and hands, her claws. He felt the old warmth of her acquaintance returning at that moment, despite the pain he was in.

Sveta, looking down on the pitiful sight in front of her, initially felt like leaving the room and having one of the maids clean up the mess. Eoleo's wincing face, however, reminded her that the person in the bed was her friend, and a close one at that. She too remembered the times they had shared on their adventure with Matthew and the rest in stopping the Grave Eclipse. She may have been in a different status now, but in that room, with just the two of them, statuses meant nothing.

"Eoleo, please stay still. I have to do this" Sveta asked, puffing her chest out before walking closer to the mess in front of her. She grabbed the vomit soaked sheet and threw it away, revealing Eoleo's clean shirt and the faint outline of a bandage beneath. Placing her hands just above the bandage, she closed her eyes.

"If you want to be sick…" she said quietly, closing her eyes to steel herself. "…don't be afraid to be sick on me. Okay?" she asked.

"…Just like old times, hm?" Eoleo commented. Sveta let out a small chuckle, eyes still closed.

"I did remember healing you quite a bit…but nothing this serious. You'll have to bear with me" she apologized. She could hear Eoleo taking in a deep breath, signifying his readiness. Summoning her strength once again, she started again. Throughout the few minutes of healing, Eoleo was groaning in pain and discomfort. A green light started to glow around the two of them as she projected her Boon Psynergy onto Eoleo's wound. Eoleo was sick once again, this time the projectile strength of his vomit was gone, seeping out of his mouth like a sewage pipe. Sveta tried to block out the gut wrenching sounds of his vomiting, putting her focus entirely on her healing.

Within minutes, she was done. Stepping away, a smidgen of the vomit caught on the end of her gown, much to Sveta's obliviousness, she observed the work she had done. Eoleo had fallen quiet throughout the session and the room was filled with the vile stench of his sick.

"How do you feel, Eoleo?" Sveta asked, putting a hand to her nose to block out the smell as she leant down to look at his face. Eoleo opened his eyes slightly, wiping a trail of sick from his mouth and stubbly chin.

"Better" he said quietly, urging a smile.

Sveta sighed in relief as she stood back. It didn't feel very good to see Eoleo in such a sorry, vile state.

"I'm sorry if I made you throw up" she apologized again. "I'll go and fetch the maids to clean you up and get you some new sheets" As she turned to leave the room, Eoleo realized his chance to talk to Sveta was quickly slipping away.

"Sveta…wait!" he bellowed, before coughing in pain. Sveta registered the urgency of his call, quickly turning around and stepping back to him with some urgency of her own.

"What's wrong?" she asked., slightly worried.

"When they've cleaned me up…I want to talk to you about something important" he said.

Later that day, once Eoleo had been cleaned and applied with a new bandage, Sveta, now devoid of a billowing robe and wearing a medium sleeved kimono, reentered the room, glad to smell the fresh air of the room and to see Eoleo in a clean shirt.

"Thanks for coming back" Eoleo said as Sveta helped herself to a chair, sitting in the usual spot.

"What did you want to talk about?" Sveta asked. Eoleo cleared his throat, slightly nervous about how his request would go down.

"…When Batta came up to talk to me yesterday, he told me something that made me a bit upset" Eoleo started. He could already tell by Sveta expression, one of gradual increasing worry, that this wouldn't be very comfortable. "I heard that my men in the prison cells are suffering from wounds that were caused by our battle with the monsters at sea. According to Batta, who is my first mate and wouldn't lie, my crew are being held there unattended and their wounds are festering and getting worse" he explained. Sveta's eras pricked up as she heard the story, surprised to hear that Eoleo's pirates were suffering more than she had anticipated.

"Oh, if only I'd known…" she sighed quietly. "Eoleo, you don't believe that I'd do something like that to your crew…ah!"

Eoleo almost jumped as she yelped.

"Sveta?" Eoleo asked. He watched as her head drooped along with her ears.

"…I'm really sorry, Eoleo" Sveta said quietly.

"You're sorry for a lot of things" Eoleo pointed out. "What's got you down this time?"

"I….I didn't mean to…b-but I just read your mind" she said quietly. Eoleo suddenly remembered that Sveta's main ability was to read minds. He silently cursed himself for letting his emotions for his crew show too much; now she knew everything about his views of Belinsk and its people.

"That was the second thing I wanted to talk to you about" Eoleo said, shaking his head.

"You don't like this place at all, don't you?" Sveta asked. Eoleo sighed; he knew he had to be honest or Sveta's mind reading abilities would detect his lies in an instant. There was no escaping how he felt, he had to be honest.

"Well…I think it's pretty obvious why I don't like this place" Eoleo started. "The last time I was here, I spent more time that I would have liked hanging in a steel cage, waiting to be boiled alive. And hearing about my crewmates being in the position they're in…it doesn't really help"

Sveta kept her gaze fixed to the floor. She felt a sense of shame creeping up on her, as if she had already failed in her duties as a monarch. She sighed, her voice heavy and labored by shame. Taking a deep breath, she clenched her eyes shut, trying not to let her emotions get the better of her. A word was creeping into her mind and Eoleo could sense instantly what she was going to say.

"Don't apologize" he said. "There's no need for you to apologize"

"Then what do I say?" Sveta asked, frustrated at her loss for words. Eoleo laughed a little, much to Sveta's confusion.

"Read my mind" he asked. Sveta looked up to Eoleo, who looked rather handsome sat in the bed, his bulky arms and chest folded up with a strong conviction. Sveta closed her eyes and opened Eoleo's mind like a children's playbook, interpreting the thoughts at the forefront of his mind. As she read them to herself, she knew what she wanted to say. She smiled; it was good to know the way forward was simpler than she imagined.

"…Things will be different from now on" she said, smiling. Her set of pearly white teeth were all on display as Eoleo looked at them, impressed with their uniformity and cleanliness. "There's no need for any hatred or greed in _my _country. Morgal won't have to wage any war whatsoever"

"I like the sound of that" Eoleo commented.

"But…that's what I've been trying to do this past week!" Sveta argued, allowing the triviality of the pursuit to urge a chuckle out of her between sentences. Eoleo tapped his head.

"Of course; you just need some reminding" he said. "That's what my dad always used to say to me when it came to running things"

"Is that why your crew see you as such a good captain?" Sveta asked.

"Flattering" Eoleo answered. "…If you could give them the medicine they need, then I'll be really happy"

Sveta nodded, standing up from her chair. She laughed again.

"It's funny, you're giving orders to the queen of Morgal here" she reminded Eoleo. Eoleo chuckled himself, ready to parry.

"And you're conversing with the soon-to-be leader of Champa, hm?" he said, turning his head slyly. Sveta walked to the door, opening it before looking back at Eoleo.

"Touché" she replied, before leaving the room.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

A full week had passed since Eoleo was first injured and brought to Belinsk. His stab wound had been healing swiftly; a few sneaky peeks behind his bandages revealed that the tearing in his skin had finally sealed up after many healing sessions with Sveta. Better yet, Eoleo's crewmen were tended to at once by Sveta's orders, their wounds patched up an any infections dealt with within the week by the potent medicines Belinsk had to offer. Things were starting to look bright for Eoleo, but he had to admit that spending an entire week in bed wasn't his cup of tea. He hadn't exercised in a long time and it was beginning to show: his arms were slowly losing their mass and he didn't feel as strong as he used to.

Eoleo had also regained the ability to walk and do simple tasks throughout the week. The pain of his wound was very marginal now, and he decided that on the week anniversary of his arrival, he would start his own healing process.

Sveta walked in to what she saw as shocking. Eoleo was pressed against the floor, doing push ups with startling speed. As soon as she saw Eoleo exercising, she gasped and ran up to him, frantically trying to hoist him up, much to his surprise.

"Are you insane?" she yelled as she successfully pulled a confused Eoleo back to his feet. "You'll tear your wound open again!"

"I have to do something, my arms and chest are getting flabby!" Eoleo complained, looking at Sveta as if she had offended him. "Besides, it doesn't hurt my stomach anymore, the healing sessions have closed the wound right up!"

"Argh, Eoleo!" Sveta tutted as she hauled Eoleo back to his bed. Eoleo, initially unwilling, submitted and sat down, not pulling the sheets around him. "You weren't supposed to pull the bandages off, they had healing balm folded into them!"

"Don't worry, I didn't take them off" Eoleo assured, lifting his shirt to reveal the bandage. As Eoleo looked down, he noticed his stomach had also become a little flabby during his recovery. A chill ran down his spine; had he gotten out of shape this quickly?

Sveta sighed like an impatient mother. It was true that Eoleo was losing his shape, but the shape was something easily recoverable.

"If you want to work out so badly, then at least let me finish patching your stomach muscles up" she explained. "That's why I was so worried. If you tear them again, they'll take weeks to recover, and they'll never be as strong as they once were, understand?"

"Yeah…" Eoleo said, sighing. "I'm just tried of sitting around in bed all day"

"Aw…" Sveta hummed playfully, pinching Eoleo's cheek, to which he recoiled. She then did something Eoleo didn't expect at that moment. Instead of placing her hands just above Eoleo's wound, she softly laid her hands upon the area instead. Eoleo looked down as he felt her warm hands placed against his stomach before looking to her face, whose eyes were laid on her own hands.

"Um…this is new" Eoleo said blankly, unsure of what to feel. Sveta looked up at Eoleo, releasing a smile.

"If you're so eager to get training, then I'll just have to increase the potency of my healing" she said. It was an idea Eoleo liked; his readiness was signaled as he laid against the head of his bead, closing his eyes. Without further ado, Sveta closed her own eyes and focused double the strength that she had before, fixing all of her power onto Eoleo's wound.

During the healing, Eoleo had gotten used to the queasiness of the procedure and his stomach had steeled against any gagging or vomiting during the process. But what he still hadn't gotten used to over the many time he had been healed, even during their adventure in stopping the Grave Eclipse, was the green glow. Why did everything around her glow green as if it were assimilated with nature itself? It was confusing, but it was also calming. He could swear he smelt the forest around him during the process. His eyes fixed on Sveta; she looked so calm and controlled. There was something about her concentration and utter stillness that impressed Eoleo very much. He felt flattered that she would devote her time to heal him. In fact, he felt flattered every time she came to the room to heal him. The timetable she appeared to build around him and his crew flattered him as well.

Putting it simple, Sveta flattered Eoleo. In a way that she had never done before.

As the healing process came to an end once again, Eoleo almost felt as if he needed to reward Sveta for all of her efforts. Many ideas sprung to mind, but one stood at the forefront.

"Sveta, I want to know…" Eoleo started. "Do you have any carrier pigeons around?"

"Carrier pigeons?" Sveta asked. "Why do you want a carrier pigeon?"

"I want to send a letter to my great grandmother back at Champa" Eoleo explained. "I've been away from home longer than I thought I'd be. I want to let them know how I am and find out how things are back there too"

Sveta moved the chair out of the way, rubbing her hands together.

"Okay" she said.

"And I'm sorry" Eoleo said suddenly. He said this as Sveta had just turned around to walk away. His apology jarred her and she slowly turned around, unsure of why Eoleo had just gestured to her like this.

"…For what?" Sveta asked.

"For bossing you around" Eoleo said. "You're doing loads for me, and I'm trying to think of ways to pay you back"

Sveta started to giggle; now it was her turn to feel flattered.

"You don't have to worry a bit" Sveta assured him, holding her hands together and smiling brightly. "It's my pleasure. I like helping others"

"I'll still be paying you back" Eoleo said strongly, nodding as he did. "Even if you don't wanna accept it, you'll be paid back"

Sveta continued to giggle, her high pitched, almost unobtrusive chuckle tickling Eoleo himself. He started to laugh as she made her way for the door.

"Well…I suppose if you feel you have to" she said. Before she could leave, Eoleo called her again.

"Could you bring Batta up to me?" he asked. "I wanna talk to him about something"

"Sure, will do" Sveta replied, before finally leaving the room.

Meanwhile, within the confines of his own room, Stamford was furious. He had heard that the pirates in the cells had their wounds tended to, and upon discovering that it was Eoleo's request, he reached the limit of his patience.

"I can't stand this anymore" he mused to himself, sat down on his bed with his head in his hands, stroking his long, thinning hair. "These last two weeks have been some of the worst my life has ever had to go through. How in blazes have I managed to sit here in silence whilst I watch the country that I love be turned into a farcical play?"

He walked to his window in his usual musing fashion. His mind brewed with dangerous schemes that he felt tempted to undertake.

"The glory that Morgal once had has been stripped bare and flogged" he whispered, looking out to the town square. The jazz that the band played at the front annoyed Stamford; each note buzzed in his ears like an irksome gadfly. He clenched his eyes shut; he felt unbearably hot.

"The queen's address takes place tomorrow" Stamford explained to himself. "Even the city folk are curious and irritated at the 'rumors' being spread of pirates housing within the castle. Sveta's tried to keep everything underneath one tidy rug, but her little secret is falling apart"

Turning around, he took a deep breath and started at the lamp by his bed. It flicked with uncertainty; it was running out of fuel. Stamford compared Sveta's rule to the lamp, sniggering as he admired his intellect.

"I'm pleased to know that much of the public shares my views of the Champans" he continued to himself, pacing up the lamp and sitting by the side of his bed. "They're becoming restless as well, fuelled by the rumors. Sveta will have to be very crafty if she's going to cull the swell of the public oppression…but why should she?"

Standing up, he clenched his fists, fuelled by his own energy.

"Why would she deny the needs of the public?" he asked himself. "Surely if she believes in her 'peace', then listening to the public is essential? She's contradicting herself; is it inexperience? Or is she so deluded by her friend, that Champan pirate _pig_ Eoleo, that she puts him and his lowlife band of rats in front of the general interest of Belinsk? Such deceit!"

Irritated, he walked back to his window and opened it, letting the music sweep into his room. The noise allowed him to ruminate louder.

"It is exactly when I mean when I say that her rule is farcical. She doesn't know the damage she is causing and I won't have any of it!"

There was a knock on the door. His ruminations interrupted, he hurried to the door, hoping that it would be who he thought it was. Opening a hatch on the door so he could see through to the other side, he was met by a helmeted figure. His heart rose with joy.

"Ah, quick, come in!" he said, opening the door swiftly. The armored guard walked through into the room, with Stamford quickly closing it behind him and double locking its latches. Spinning around, he stood up straight, adjusting the metal shoulder plate holding his purple and blue robe together.

"Tell me: did you find it?" he asked quietly amongst the music that filled the room.

"Yes sir" the guard revealed. "The team you sent out to Konpa Cave located the machine you were searching for"

Almost unable to contain his excitement, he knew he had to press one more detail.

"And…did you place it where I wanted it?" he asked.

"Yes sir" the guard revealed. Stamford started to rub his hands together, clearly pleased by what he had heard.

"Excellent work. I shall see that you receive a promotion" Stamford said. "Now leave me"

The guard saluted without expression and marched out of the room, undoing the locks before leaving. As soon as the door closed, Stamford started to cackle quietly as he re-did the locks on the door. As soon as he did, he felt a sense of empowerment grow inside of him. As the music outside changed to a more solemn, slow tune, he strode across his room to the window once more, taking in a deep breath and looking out to the view of the city in front of him.

"What I have done…may change the fabric of our society forever" he murmured quietly to himself. "But if Sveta cannot change…if she refuses to allow our society to change…then I will have no choice. For the future of Morgal…and for all beastmen, I will do everything in my power to keep the pride of our nation intact!"

Meanwhile, back in Eoleo's room, Batta was brought to the room as Eoleo asked. Eoleo was glad to see that Batta was looking a lot better than he did the last time they talked.

"Captain!" Batta chuckled. "You've put on weight!"

"I could say the same for you!" Eoleo chuckled as the two shook hands with each other. As Batta sat down, Eoleo cleared his throat.

"I've been thinking recently about the week we've spent here" Eoleo started. "I'm really grateful for everything everyone's done around here. I kinda feel undeserving"

"Well my boy, you're lucky to have a friend like Sveta" Batta said. He watched as remorse started to streak across Eoleo's face. Laughing, he continued. "There's no need to look so guilty about it. Luck's a pirate's thing, remember? Think about all the bets and games we have on the ship: everyone wins and loses but many are purely luck based. And am I right in sayin' that nobody's been feeling guilty about it?"

Eoleo started to chuckle, he knew Batta was right.

"Even after the time you lost your month's saving on that game of craps to me?" he joked.

"See?" Batta confirmed. "No guilt"

"But we're all kind of like family on that ship" Eoleo argued. "Even if we win and lose money, it's all our collective money at the end of the day. Here…well, everyone's different"

"…My boy, I've been hearing things from the prison guards that the public know we're being hidden here"

Eoleo shrugged. "So, I thought that was pretty obvious after what we gatecrashed"

"The military whisked us off to the cells privately" Batta revealed. "I was pretty bashed up myself, but when I was looking around, I didn't see any townsfolk anywhere. They just took us through a path that avoided the square. Anyway, according to the prison guards who were talking, the public here are figuring out about us being here…and they're not happy about it"

Eoleo felt his eyebrows become heavy; a large frown appeared on his face as he looked to Batta.

"I had a gut feeling that we wouldn't get a good reception here" Eoleo sighed. "Even with my connections to Sveta and her being the queen, that's not gonna change the public opinion. Heh, I even remember the looks they were giving me when I left this place with Himi after the Grave Eclipse. I guess we're still just bloodthirsty pirates to them, hm?" Eoleo mused.

"I'm gonna be straight with you my boy" Batta grumbled. "We have to leave, as soon as we can. How is your injury?"

Eoleo looked down to his stomach, patting it.

"A lot better, but according to Sveta it's still weak" he said. "I think its gonna be a few days"

"That's alright…" Batta replied. "As long as we keep out of the public eye and leave discreetly, then things should be okay. We can all go back to Champa then"

Eoleo smiled, but his eyes closed in a sense of disappointment. He knew he had to leave, but he was getting used to the hospitality and Sveta's company. He quietly promised himself that one day, he would return to see how things were.

"…I sent a carrier pigeon to Champa" Eoleo revealed after a small silence. "I asked my great granny if she could deliver a few casks of Champan Ale here"

"Why?" Batta asked.

"As a way of saying thanks" Eoleo explained.

"And how many?" Batta asked inquisitively.

"About 50 bottles' equivalent" Eoleo answered. Batta sighed; his fears of Eoleo being reckless were soothed away.

"I suppose that's a few casks then" Batta mumbled. "I suppose its the least we can do for the hospitality _and _your safety"

"Hmm…that they have" Batta said quietly. For the rest of his visiting time they ruminated about the time they had spent in Belinsk. It was strange to be feeling melancholic about leaving, especially since they weren't meant to be there in the first place. But to Eoleo and Batta, it seemed just right.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

The following morning, Eoleo watched as Sveta entered his room half an hour earlier than she usually did. Even more surprising was her dress; she appeared a lot more regal in her gown, much like her father did. There was a large crown sat atop her head and her sleeves extended way below her hands, hiding them like a child in an adult's gown.

"Why the fancy clothes?" Eoleo asked as Sveta set herself down to start the healing process again.

"I have to do an address in half an hour" she said. "The nation has questions they want me to answer"

Eoleo knew exactly what she was talking about and decided to test his knowledge.

"…It's about me, isn't it?" he asked. Sveta looked up in surprise, almost agitated that top-secret information had already been leaked.

"How did you know?" she asked, a sense of necessity in her voice.

"Batta overheard the prison guards talking about it" Eoleo revealed. Sveta sighed, feeling slightly powerless in her position.

"…You're right" she admitted, her ears drooping in sadness. "The people of Belinsk seem to have discovered that we're sheltering Champans inside the castle. Ever since the Tuarapang manipulated my brother into souring tensions with various nations, our people, who believed everything he did staunchly, were convinced that anyone from Sana or Bilibin were enemies. Had it continued, this hatred would have spread to many other principalities, like Authuay"

"So when I got captured…" Eoleo continued.

"They gained a hatred for Champans as well" Sveta revealed. "Not even your contribution to the end of the Grave Eclipse has had much effect on them. At least they're unwilling to become violent about it, but there's still some tension. I have to speak to them about it…and if they won't have any of it, I'm afraid I'll have to ask you and your friends to leave by midnight tonight" she revealed. Before Eoleo could get a word in, Sveta closed her eyes. "Now let's get this over and done with" she said quickly, before her healing started.

The time of the address was at hand. Sveta stood watching the opened door that led up to the balcony. There were maids tending to her long silver hair, braiding it tidily behind her colorful gown. She was nervous; she could hear the masses of citizens gathered outside of the castle, bustling and waiting for her to appear.

Out of seemingly nowhere, a deep voice spoke to her.

"Are you ready, my queen?"

She had expected for him to turn up at some point before she went out to do her first public address since becoming queen.

"Stamford…" she uttered, unhappy to have to even speak to him at this current moment in time. She watched as he walked beside her, not even turning to look at her whilst she sat on her chair. She looked up to see him, hands clutching each other behind his back, dressed in his general's armor, thick and heavily plated and mailed. His long snout twitched occasionally as his steely glance was fixed towards the door to the balcony.

"Can you not hear them?" he said quietly, his dark voice easy to pick up amongst the bustle around him. "The people out there have become wise to your little secret. They want answers…"

Sveta remained silent, but her eyes closed to try and block him out of her mind. Her anger was rising rapidly and her composure was becoming shaken. However, Stamford picked up on her emotions and continued.

"I told you that this was a bad idea" he continued in the same, sinister tone. "You may have been able to delude me, but you cannot hope to sway the emotions of everybody out there. You will have to tell them you're housing pirates, the same ones that your people have built a hatred for…"

"Piss off, Stamford" Sveta snapped suddenly with a powerful, yet controlled voice. Stamford sniggered a little before turning around, his cape swaying as he turned.

"Hmph" he grunted. "As you wish, _my queen_…"

As Stamford vanished, Sveta took a deep breath. Preparations were complete. As she stood, her heart knocked against her ribs almost uncontrollably. Her first address to her nation. Gathering all of her willpower, she stepped out onto the balcony, ready to face the crowd.

Throughout the entire speech, Eoleo couldn't hear a word of it. He had enough strength to pace around his room, which accounted for his exercise at that time. He could also do his push ups without any pain or discomfort now, although any from of over exertion was still enough to send a painful throb through him. Despite this, his arms and chest had already started to harden again with the training and he hoped his swift recovery could help him fully regain his fitness.

Suddenly, the door opened, and Eoleo identified Sveta by her headgear before she could even fully walk through the door. Without even looking at Eoleo, she closed the door quietly.

"How did it go?" Eoleo asked. But to his dismay, he watched as Sveta's composure fell apart in seconds, breaking down in tears right in front of him. Eoleo, surprised and a little shocked at what he was seeing, advanced towards her at once, holding her shoulders.

"Sveta, what happened?" Eoleo asked, desperate to know what had transpired. He attempted to look into her eyes, but her head was hunched downwards in grief. Sveta attempted to regain her composure, just able to stop her tears from falling.

"I-I…I tried to explain to them…" she said quietly, rubbing her eyes haphazardly. "Th-they were so unforgiving…." Eoleo could tell it went horribly and sighed, looking down to the ground himself.

"…I guess they want me to go, then" Eoleo said quietly.

"I-I'm so sorry" Sveta stammered in between sobs. She moved closer to Eoleo and hugged him, who in return hugged her back.

"Please, you don't have to say sorry all the time" Eoleo pleaded to her quietly, speaking into her ears. "I wasn't meant to be here for long anyway. I'll tell m crew to get to the ship and we'll cast off as soon as we can, hm? Then we'll be out of Belinsk, out of Morgal, and most of all, off of your chest. Then you can carry on being a queen without the extra stress. Sound alright to you?"

Sveta, who had rested her head against Eoleo's chest, slid her head to look up at his face. Eoleo felt quite strange to be holding Sveta in his arms like this; the two were never this close during their past adventure. But he felt the need to comfort the girl in his arms; he felt somewhat enraptured by the whole experience and was almost overcome by the sense to aid her in her hour of need. Looking down at her slightly furred face, which had been slightly matted by tear tracks from her eyes, he breathed a quick sigh and smiled a little as she gathered her composure to talk again.

"B-but I don't want you to go yet…" she whimpered, a tear squeezing out of her eye. Eoleo groaned to himself; he didn't really want to go either, but he had to.

"Well, the decision is yours" Eoleo offered. "You know your people better than I do"

Sveta let go of Eoleo and looked to the walls, thinking carefully as she dried her tears with a handkerchief.

"…One more night" she suggested. Eoleo nodded in confirmation and the two of them smiled, thankful that at least Eoleo's visit could end with more certainty the following day.

Unfortunately, down below in the Belinsk Ruins, Stamford watched as his men were in action, preparing a machine in the room with the four colored crystals, next to the opened door leading to the Alchemy Dynamo. As the machine was fully set, he looked at his soldiers' handiwork.

"…The machine is ready?" he asked, looking at the contraption.

"The machine is ready, sir" a guard confirmed, handing Stamford a remote controller.

"And the explosives have been put into place?" he asked again, looking around.

"The area has been rigged, sir" the guard confirmed once more. "We configured the remote control so the button detonates the explosives and activates the machine at the same time"

He started to snigger once again, happy that everything had gone to plan. He was in disbelief that he had managed to work it all out, but he realized that power was by his doorstep. A guard walked up to him and presented a controller with a single button on it. Stamford too the controller swiftly, bringing it to his eyes and examining it carefully. He smiled; the little device in his hand held so much contained, hidden power.

"Then it all begins tomorrow, my men" he said, turning to look at his loyal soldiers. "We shall grant our queen and her precious little pirates a final night if peaceful sleep. You all understand as well as I do that if a problem starts to rear its ugly head, we must react with swiftness and courage. Tomorrow, we shall do just that, and put this humiliation to an end…"


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

Eoleo was suddenly woken up by a vicious slap. Dazed, he struggled to gain his senses when he felt a fist crack against his skull. He yelled in pain; his stomach ached slightly as a hand grabbed his shirt collar and hauled him out of the bed and thrown. Temporarily in the air, he landed against the wooden floor, shocked and in pain, still having not fully adjusted his eyesight to what was happening around him. Straining his eyes, he could make out armored feet in his room. Guards.

He quickly staggered to his feet and turned on one of the guards, still dizzy from the sudden wake up. He threw a punch at the guard, but his groggy movements were predictable. The guard ducked the flying fist, striking Eoleo in the face. The guard then kicked Eoleo savagely in the stomach, propelling him to the wall. Eoleo screamed as he was struck, a surging wave of pain reeling throughout his entire body. Slamming against the wall, he slumped to the floor, still half struggling to fight back. The force of his collision with the wall rattled the room, causing a framed picture to fall from the wall and shatter beside Eoleo.

More guards entered the room, yanking at Eoleo's arms. Eoleo's heart jumped in panic as he felt the cold constrains of handcuffs being stuck onto one of his arms. He flailed and hobbled to his feet, another surge of pain followed through his stomach, toppling Eoleo to the floor again on his front. He spat against the floor, screaming and yelling as his arms were cuffed. He was vulnerable. He floundered wildly on the floor, yelling profanities.

"Let me go!" he screamed, before a foot came flying into his side. The sound of the man's iron boot striking Eoleo's flesh churned Eoleo's sides as the pain continued to pulse through him. He still shouted as loudly as he could before the guards taped his mouth shut. Unable to retaliate any further, Eoleo submitted as the guards grabbed him by his arms and dragged him out of the room.

Eoleo's blurred vision prevented him from seeing much, but he knew that he was being hauled outside into the cool air. As he was being dragged, he realized they were taking him into the Eclipse Tower. As they entered, they went past and continued until they reached the large globe room that led down to the Alchemy Dynamo. There, he was callously thrown down every tier, landing roughly with every landing. Upon the last drop, which was larger than all the rest, Eoleo landed on his arm, his elbow slamming against the concrete floor with tremendous pain. A guard spat in his eye; he was picked up and the dragging continued into the next room. The sting from his elbow almost matched that of his stomach; Eoleo could only wheeze in desperation as his accosting continued.

Unrelenting, the guards continued to drag Eoleo through until they reached the room where the globe platforms rested, still in their unmoved positions having been set down before the activation of the Grave Eclipse. It appeared that these platforms had been eternally set there after the puzzles of the ruins had been solved. Eoleo was thrown down in front of the pedestal that was flanked by the four towering, colorful crystals, their backs turned to the globe path that led back up to the main room of the ruins. A guard ripped the gag off of Eoleo's face, ripping some of his stubble off with it, causing Eoleo to wince in pain.

Looking to his left, he received a shock as he saw Sveta knelt on her knees, clearly upset and looking at Eoleo. Eoleo struggled onto his knees, the guards keeping a tight grip on him, disallowing any form of escape.

"Sveta…" Eoleo growled, reeling from his agony. "What the hell is going on here?"

He looked closer at Sveta, who had been crying a lot. She appeared very flustered; something had gone seriously wrong.

"Ah, glad you could make it, Eoleo"

Eoleo's gaze shot towards the source of the voice. It was a man he hadn't met before, a tall, well-armored man with a piercing gaze. He then recognized him as the man who greeted the ship when they first arrived at Belinsk. There was a sinister, sneering grin plastered on his face.

"Y-You…who are you…" Eoleo spattered, his stomach still pulsing with pain from the devastating kick he received.

"I am General Stamford" he revealed, walking up to both Eoleo and Sveta. He towered over the two of them as they sat on their knees, looking up to him.

"You traitor…you bastard!" Sveta yelled. "Why?"

Stamford paced about the room, his hands behind his back, his cape billowing as he walked.

"For one as young and as bright as yourself, I thought you would have seen something like this coming" Stamford taunted, still pacing. "Ever since the death of your brother, things have not been the same"

"What are you talking about?" Eoleo yelled. Stamford started to snigger, turning around in front of Eoleo, looking down at him.

"…Shut it!" Stamford yelled suddenly, kicking Eoleo's stomach again. Eoleo doubled over screaming, his head touching the floor as he tried to control his ravaging agony. Sveta screamed Eoleo's name out as she saw the savage kick unleashed on him, before looking up at Stamford, whose expression showed clear, antagonistic joy.

"Now…where was I?" he said, pacing towards Sveta. "Ah yes, I remember. I was about to explain everything that's happening to you right now. Perk up your ears, child, I'm about to tell you something important"

"I'm…not a child!" Sveta protested, trying to free from her handcuffs, an effort that was in vain.

"Sveta…do you consider yourself a good queen?" he asked. "Do you feel that you're fit to rule?"

"What are you getting at?" Sveta shouted, quaking with fear and anger.

"I was listening intently to your address yesterday, Sveta" Stamford continued. "The crowd simply didn't like what you said. The fact that you had been hiding Champan dogs within the castle walls was simply unacceptable to the public. It was a savage address, wasn't it?" he mused.

"I…this isn't fair…." Sveta groaned in pain, her arms jerked back so far that it caused her extreme discomfort.

"I could remember the sounds of the crowd jeering at you in distaste" Stamford continued. "No matter how much you attempted to defend the situation, the people knew that what you were doing was wrong. As did I. Can't you see what I'm saying, Sveta?"

Stamford leant right down to Sveta's height and looked her right in the eyes.

"…I _was right_, from the start" he said. Sveta suddenly spat at Stamford, who raged and slapped Sveta right to the floor. Sveta started to cry as she was hit down, which caused Eoleo to react badly.

"You bastard!" he yelled, but his abdomen quickly surged with even more pain from the kicks, subduing him again.

"Quiet, you pig" Stamford spat as he got back up, wiping Sveta's spit from his face. Turning back to Sveta, he growled.

"The way you run this country disgusts me" he taunted, watching as Sveta was hauled back up violently by the guard. "Your politics are fanciful and incorrect. You believe in peace, yet you haven't the experience and knowledge to realize that conflict can only be doused by one thing: conflict"

"No…y-you're wrong!" Sveta yelled. "Conflict…i-it doesn't s-solve anything…" Stamford chuckled a little, pacing back and forth again.

"This is your problem: you refuse to listen" Stamford persisted. "I told you time and time again that the people of Belinsk wouldn't bend their ears to your fantastical tales of prosperity! Morgal is a young nation that has primarily developed on conflict, Sveta! When you brother and your father were in power, I was by their side all the time, commanding armies and helping them to forge the nation that Morgal is today! This idea that you can continue to build Morgal by cutting of the essential source of conflict is just trivial, and I just couldn't stand by and watch you make a mockery of it"

Stamford then stopped still, facing Eoleo, who was still reeling from the pain in his abdomen.

"But fighting doesn't solve anything…it just begets more fighting!" Sveta yelled. "My father never intended to instigate conflict with other nations; maybe we were a nation that was forged in a turbulent time with the rise of the Golden Sun. But if we carry on producing hatred and building tensions with other countries, our kingdom will collapse!"

"Don't be so foolish" Stamford interrupted, raising his hand. The guards that held Sveta down tightened their grip. Sveta whimpered in pain, only just able to crane her neck to look at Stamford. "You're just a girl. The only reason you are the queen is because of your blood. Your brother's death put an inexperienced, unknowing girl on the throne. All you have are big ideas and no conviction or intelligence to make them real, and what's worse is you try to showboat your peace by crafting this little pirate stunt! So I decided last night that there would be a change"

One of the guards approached Stamford, handing him a parchment. It was held together at the top by a purple rope, and on it was elegant writing ad a single black line at the bottom. Stamford walked up to Sveta, kneeling down.

"I deem you unfit to rule" he said.

"Go and…burn in hell…" Sveta uttered, the guards' grip tighter than ever.

"Do you see this parchment here?" Stamford asked, holding the parchment in front of Sveta's tear soaked face. "This is a special doctrine that was introduced by your father when he first took the throne. It says here…" he said, turning the parchment so he could read it. "…that in the event of a severe royal emergency where the current monarch deemed him or herself unfit to rule the country, he or she would sign this parchment and appoint a temporary successor" he explained. Sveta knew what Stamford was trying to do. Clenching her fists, she refused to let anything reach her palms.

"I won't sign it…" she said staunchly. But Stamford continued his explanation without hesitation.

"This successor would rule the throne until the monarch was ready and fit to resume duties. But, it also says that if the monarch signed with a special seal of approval, then the monarchial duties would be passed **permanently **to the appointed person. This would usually happen during a serious emergency, say, if the monarch was dying" he explained.

"S-Sveta…d-don't sign it…." Eoleo uttered.

"I've had enough of that dog speaking" Stamford barked. "Remove his shirt and lash his back until you can see the bone"

"Noo!" Sveta yelled suddenly. Stamford started to laugh.

"If you don't want to see your friend hurt, then I suggest you sign" he said, showing the parchment again. Sveta looked at the parchment, before turning her teary eyes to Eoleo, whose shirt was already ripped off, revealing his tough, yet beaten body. She couldn't let them hurt Eoleo, she felt too strongly for him to let him go through any more pain. But she couldn't relinquish her rule either: she was stuck.

"…N-no…d-don't sign….it…." Eoleo spat, breathing heavily as his face was pressed onto the floor. Sveta swallowed all of her guilt and looked to Stamford.

"I won't sign" she said. As soon as she said it, the crack of a whip sounded and Eoleo bellowed in pain. Sveta started crying profusely, her heart complete broken as she heard the flogging continue. Eoleo was yelling, and as Sveta turned her head, she saw the whip strike a red, bleeding mark across Eoleo's back. Eoleo was in tears, his blood dripping onto the floor, but as she looked at him, he shook his head. He didn't want her to sign the parchment.

Eventually, after seven painful whips, after what felt like a lifetime of enduring the harshest pain, visually for Sveta and physically for Eoleo, the whipping stopped. Stamford looked at the damage done to Eoleo, before looking back to Sveta, tutting.

"Those cuts across his back look rather painful" he noted. "You know what you must do. Sign the parchment with the special signature, and the pain will end for your friend and for you" he explained.

"I…i don't know any…s-special signature…" Sveta sputtered. She watched in fury and sorrow as Stamford cackled quietly to himself, before he frightened her out of her skin by producing a small, yet unbelievably sharp knife.

"Why, the signature is so simple that even _you _could manage it" he said. "…You sign with your blood"

Sveta turned her head away from the parchment, unable to bear it anymore. Stamford started to tut again as he sat down cross-legged in front of Sveta.

"You still won't sign?" he asked. After a short silence from Sveta, Stamford released an audible sigh.

"Very well" he said impatiently, standing up. "Pass me that whip"

The guard stood behind Eoleo held him down with one hand whilst passing the whip to Stamford. Stamford them took his position whilst the guard holding Sveta forced her to turn and watch.

"Three more whips for the Champan shit!" he yelled before striking Eoleo with all his might. Eoleo screamed in agony as the whip cut across his already gashed skin, ripping lines of skin away from his blood red back. Stamford whipped twice more, the two strikes causing serious damage to Eoleo's back. Stamford then threw the whip to the floor and furiously paced to Sveta, showing the parchment so close to her face that he was practically rubbing it in her face.

"You won't sign, huh?" he said, irritated and volatile in temper. "You still don't wanna sign?"

Then, like a flash, he stopped and calmed suddenly, before standing up onto his feet.

"Okay…" he said quietly, amidst Eoleo's grunts of pain and Sveta's sobs. "I suppose hurting one person isn't enough to convince you. I have something to show the two of you that will force you to sign, lest you deem yourselves true monsters"

He walked up to the pedestal between the four crystals and turned around. Both Sveta and Eoleo suddenly realized there was something on the pedestal, something large that was covered in a large sheet. Little did they know, the machine beneath the cover spelt the end for them.


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

As he turned around in front of the pedestal, he opened out his arms.

"Do you see what's behind me?" he asked both Eoleo and Sveta. The two were in too much pain to respond; yet Stamford continued anyway. "Whilst you've been sat away at Eoleo's side, putting that fish-fed beach idiot's interests in front of the needs of the nation, I've been doing a little bit of excavating at the Konpa Cave area" he explained.

"What?" Sveta spat. "Wh-why were you there for?"

"I was digging up something" Stamford revealed. "I only recently discovered that your brother had continued to wage conflict after your father's passing because of…outside interference" he said. Eoleo coughed out blood, but lifted his head.

"The Tuarapang…" he uttered.

"That's right" Stamford confirmed. "Despite his strong personality, the Tuarapang seemed to be manipulating your brother into instigating conflict with other nations, in particular Sana and Bilibin. This outside group certainly had a positive influence on Morgal's development, so I decided to look into this. It seems that the Tuarapang's interests were very similar to our interests…or certainly mine, anyhow. I did some research about their work with your brother and I found documents relating to certain machines that they had created" he explained.

"Machines?" Sveta asked.

"One of these machines happened to be built inside the aforementioned cave, and when I discovered it's use, I realized its potential for a bargaining tool and ordered my men to bring it here. And now, I can show you exactly what it is…"

He turned around and placed a hand on the sheet that hid the machine. With a yank, he pulled the sheet away, revealing a large machine with a pair of prongs sticking out from either size. It was a rather large machine, and Stamford turned back around with a face filled with pride.

"A Psynergy Vortex creator!" he revealed. Both Sveta and Eoleo realized what Stamford meant by a 'bargaining tool' now.

"Stamford…you've gone crazy!" Sveta yelled. "Y-you can't activate that, you'll destroy Belinsk!"

Stamford started to laugh, producing a remote control and waving it in front of Sveta's face.

"With the push of a button, Belinsk will become a death site" Stamford taunted. "The machine is also rigged to approximately 150 sticks of dynamite, all placed through the walls in this chamber. When I hit the button, the dynamite blows a hole to the surface, flooding this chamber with water. The machine will then propel a giant Psynergy Vortex above the skies of Belinsk, absorbing all life in the city"

"Genocide!" Sveta yelled. "You'll commit a mass murder…what kind of ruler do you see yourself as?"

"An efficient one" Stamford replied quickly. "The choice is still yours Sveta. Sign the parchment and designate _me _as the next king of Morgal, or I'll end the lives of everyone that you care for so much!"

Sveta couldn't find the energy in her to cry any longer. She felt completely depleted and void; nothing meant anything to her anymore. She took one last look at Eoleo, who writhed in pain on the floor from the whips to his back, before looking towards Stamford. She squinted her eyes, she clenched them as tightly as she possibly could. Her heart was aching with regret and remorse; her self-reprimanding tore her spirit in two.

"…Okay" she said with a heavy, labored tone. "I'll…sign"

A smile stretched out across Stamford's face as he hid the controller, clutching his small knife again.

"I'm glad that you finally had the sense to give in before things got out of hand" he said. "Release her left hand and show it to me"

The guard quickly undid the handcuff and kept a painfully tight grip on Sveta's right wrist as Stamford gripped her left wrist just as tightly. Forcing her hand open, he brought the tip of the knife to her index finger, pricking it. A small droplet of blood emerged from the prick, setting on her finger.

"Now sign it" Stamford ordered. Utterly resigned, she watched as the parchment was rolled out in front of her. Sveta couldn't feel the pain of the pinprick, but watching the parchment unfurl in front of her was visual torture. The words imprinted on it imprinted her very own doom; hers and the rest of Morgal.

"E-everyone….I-I'm sorry…" she sobbed, before placing her bleeding finger on the dotted line and signing the parchment. The dreaded deal had been done.

Stamford delicately pulled the blood signed parchment away, examining the signature with glee.

"Genuine beastman blood…" he said quietly. "Then it's official. I am your new king!"

Defeat had never tasted so bitter before. Neither Sveta nor Eoleo would have known that was to happen to them, ever. Both were engulfed in sadness and an anger that they just could not vent, knelt on their knees, Eoleo in considerable amounts of pain from his back and abdomen, Sveta through her mental torture and a pin prick that had never hurt so much in her life.

"Finally, we can bring this embarrassing little chapter of our history to a close" Stamford said after examining the parchment for a seemingly everlasting amount of time. "Morgal shall be restored to its former glory, where conflict lies at the heart of its growth!"

"Conflict…was never at the heart of Morgal!" Sveta shouted defiantly. "When my father established this country…he never intended to wage war, and neither did my brother! It was the Tuarapang that caused the conflict, and look what happened to them! Your reign will be just as short…as theirs…aahh…." She groaned as she was forced back into her cuffs. Stamford continued to snigger.

"So what if you're right?" Stamford asked. "Maybe the kings before you never intended to grow as a nation of conflict. But it still happened, even if the Tuarapang had to be involved. I actually think that the Tuarapang had the right idea all along and I intend to continue along that path that they laid out!"

"You're…g-going to regret this…"Sveta uttered.

"I've had enough of your pithy little comments, Sveta" Stamford growled. "As the new king of Morgal, I shall lay waste to the compromises and limits inflicted on _my _army! Morgal shall become a powerful nation, and I shall wage successful campaigns against Sana, Bilibin, and eventually Champa too! Our strength will grow, and within time, Morgal will be the world's most powerful governing force! Today is a new day for us all!"

Stamford raised his hands as he heralded his new age, before lowering them again and pacing back towards Sveta and Eoleo.

"But now, I'm left with a pack of rats, those of which have no place in** my **kingdom" he commented. "I shall throw you in the cells where you will be out of my way. Then, once my military campaigns are underway and my presence as new king is fully established within the city, I shall have you and all your little pirate friends **executed** by hanging. Publicly!" he yelled. A painful shock surged through both Eoleo and Sveta as they heard Stamford spelling their fates out of them. Eoleo was too preoccupied with his current pains to be able to register the shock that had been delivered, but Sveta felt the full force of the news. She felt sick and queasy as she slumped over, shaking her head in complete disbelief.

"P-Please…." she pleaded. "Don't do this to us…"

"I won't have any of it" Stamford retaliated. "Guards, take them away! Enjoy your little stay here, for it will be your last!"

With the same savagery they experienced as they were dragged into the chamber, they were dragged right back out, before being moved down towards the prison cells. Stamford watched as they were lugged away, sniggering to himself.

"Now a new age of prosperity will begin…" he muttered to himself, before turning to look at his soldiers. There was one thing that was at the forefront of Stamford's mind at that moment, a plan that would throw all of Morgal into chaos.

War.


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

Everybody in the prison cell watched in absolute shock as they saw both Eoleo and Sveta being thrown into the small cell brusquely. The cell gate closed as the guards marched away, leaving everyone stunned.

"…Eoleo?" Batta exclaimed, suddenly moving towards him. He felt his stomach churn in disgust as he saw the lash marks on his back, still bleeding and sore. Right next to him was Sveta, who was unable to control her tears.

"What happened to you?" Batta asked, kneeling down next to the both of them. Sveta wiped her eyes, trying to control her composure again, before looking up at Batta.

"I-It's a coup…" she sobbed. "The general who met you at the ship…he's taken control"

Batta's eyes opened in shock as the rest of the pirates gasped around him. But Sveta hadn't finished. The worst news was yet to come.

"…H-he's going to start a military campaign" she continued. "And th-then…h-he's going to execute us all…"

The news struck everybody inside the cell like a hammer shot to the back of the head. Everybody started into the blank spaces around Sveta, trying to digest the news and failing miserably. Some fell to their knees, others slumped against the wall. Batta found himself short of breath, before looking down at the bloody Eoleo, who had fallen unconscious because of his pain.

Batta released a labored breath, falling onto his back and holding his head. Some could be heard groaning, but nobody cried. Nobody spoke a word for what seemed like hours. Everybody was staring at the walls, the bars of the cell, the ceiling, each other, trying to come to terms with the fact that the ends of all their lives was upon them. Nobody wanted to die like this, and even the hardest of the pirates felt their stomachs go weak at the thought of an assured death. At least at sea they had the choice to live by fighting. This, though, gave them no choice. Everybody felt powerless.

Eoleo had remained unconscious throughout, and after a short amount of time, Sveta turned to see his blood covered back. She had managed to stop crying but was still very upset. Batta had accepted that there was no escape, yet he was still very distraught at his incoming death.

Tucked away in the damp, mossy corner of the cell, he watched silently as Sveta stumbled up to Eoleo, placing her hands haphazardly across his back. Closing her eyes, sniffing to control her tears, she summoned her energy and started to heal his back. Batta watched in awe as a green glow surrounded them and the lash marks stopped bleeding, slowly fixing up as if my magic. Batta knew this was Psynergy, he had seed Eoleo use some of his own before, but there was just something fascinating about the concept of manipulating the forces of nature to heal and attack with.

The cuts on Eoleo's back didn't heal fully by the time Sveta stopped, utterly exhausted by the whole scenario she was in. Urging the last of her energy to heal Eoleo, she collapsed backwards onto the floor, unconscious. Batta watched in pity as she fell, looking at both Eoleo and Sveta with an overwhelming sense of sympathy. Batta had been in the situation before where death was staring him in the face and as he looked around to the rest of the distraught crew, he thought of the things that they had all done as pirates back in Briggs's lifetime. There was a slight feeling that perhaps they should have seen a death sentence coming, from the moment they were placed in the cell. But as he turned to look at Sveta and Eoleo once more, he knew that if anybody didn't deserve to die, it was them.

Slumping to his feet, he hoisted both Eoleo and Sveta against the wall in a far more comfortable position than before. Batta removed his own shirt and used it to pad Eoleo's lash wounds before reaching for the rag he used as a quilt, covering both Sveta and Eoleo with it. Staggering back, he looked at his handiwork before he slinked away to the corner, trying to will himself back to sleep.

As the night drew over, Eoleo came to. His back was in a lot less pain that it was before as he realized that the top half of his body was bare after his shirt was ripped off by Stamford's guards. He looked around to see that his crewmen were surrounding him, all now in an uneasy sleep. A few were still awake and petrified by the thought of death. It was then he remembered that he was destined to die as well, and he stirred in severe discomfort. He scanned the room: the walls were made of a jagged, unrefined black stone held together by crumbling cement. The floor was dusty and damp patches dotted the cell. It was of a moderate size, but with all of his crew held inside there was just about enough space to walk inside. It was a closed off cell: the only light came from through the iron bars that doubled as the cell door, where there was a wooden table with a lantern sat atop it. The section of wall beneath the small barred window opposite the door was moist with gutter water that seeped inside. The smell was putrid and stagnant; a mixture of sweat and sewage filled the air thickly, making breathing a more laborious process. Eoleo wasn't sure whether his previous incarceration in a hanging steel cage was worse than the one he was in now.

He didn't realize that a worn out Sveta, still dressed in her royal garments that had now become dirty, had slumped onto him during her fitful sleep. His stir suddenly work her, to which she looked up to Eoleo, discovering that she was resting on his arm. As Eoleo looked down to Sveta, he couldn't help but feel a tear coming to his eye. Sveta's eyes filled with tears as well as she held Eoleo tighter, sobbing quietly into whatever was left of his ripped shirt. Eoleo held his tears back, cradling Sveta's head and shoulders in his broad arms as he looked to the small, barred window that showed the full moon outdoors. He wanted to go home; he wanted to go back to Champa. He ran his hands slowly through Sveta's unruly hair; he assumed that she didn't have the time to braid it in her usual style before she was abducted. The whole tragedy tore away at the two, and eventually, after shedding their tears together once more, they drifted back into an uneasy sleep in their arms.

The following morning brought a bright and sunny day. Stamford was stood in front of the throne of Morgal, examining it with absolute care and attention. He had yet to sit on it, and he knew the moment he did, his place as king would be well and truly sealed. Taking a deep, triumphant breath, he stepped up to the throne and slowly sat down on it. A smile broke out on his face. His previous night of sleep had been uneasy and irritable due to his excitement in becoming the new leader; he had even spent the night in the royal bed, which was many times more extravagant than his previous one.

Adjusting the crown on his head, he clapped, calling his soldiers in. A pair of armored guards walked into the room.

"Good morning, gentlemen" he said to them, the both of them saluting to their new king. As soon as the greeting was over, Stamford cleared his throat, ready to set his new laws into motion.

"Now, the first thing that needs to be done is to abolish the limitations that were enacted upon the royal forces. Fetch me fresh parchments so I have something to write these acts upon" he started. One of the guards saluted and dispatched himself to carry out the order. Stamford then turned to the second guard.

"Once the laws have been returned to their previous stature, I need to hold a meeting with my subordinates to discuss new rankings and battle tactics for the upcoming war I plan to wage. Bring them to me!" he commanded. The second guard saluted and left the room, leaving Stamford by himself. As soon as he was alone, he stood out of his chair and walked to the window, drinking the atmosphere. As soon as he brushed the curtain out of his way, the sounds of the band playing outside intruded his ears. Remembering how irritating the music was, he clapped his hands again. A servant entered the room this time, ready to receive Stamford's command.

"Yes, my liege?" the servant asked.

"There will be no more bands playing out in the town square" he revealed. "Cut that music out, now. That's an order"

The servant was surprised to hear the order but nevertheless acknowledged it and leaved the room as quickly as he could.

Down in the dank prison cell, the morning light seeped through the rusting iron bars of the window and into the cell. The night of anxious sleep had woken the pirates up early, and as they bustled in a depressed manner, the noises stirred Sveta to a conscious state once again. Rubbing the back of her head, her heart heavy from the tragedy that had befallen her, she fixed her dirty robe so its coils were tight around her waist, covering her shirt and trousers beneath.

"Good morning, lass"

Sveta turned around nervously to see Batta looking at her, leant against the wall, his feet tucked beneath a still slumbering pirate. Sveta felt nervous, she had never felt comfortable conversing with pirates, even when they sailed Eoleo's ship during the Grave Eclipse.

"Good morning" he replied glumly. "…Or at least I wish it could be"

"I know…" Batta acknowledged. He shuffled a little closer to Sveta and Eoleo; Eoleo had just started to wake up. Sveta didn't have the energy to cry; she instead let out a sigh, looking to the barred window.

"This is terrible…" she sighed. "I never thought I would spend a night here"

"It's a crying shame" Batta continued. "A girl like you shouldn't be down here like this. This is no place for the young"

"Aahh…"

The two turned to see that Eoleo had fully come to. He was groaning in pain, clutching his back. Sveta quickly leapt to Eoleo's side, moving his hands away from his back.

"Please Eoleo…" she pleaded. "Don't touch it"

"Those bastards flogged you, didn't they?" Batta asked. Eoleo's recollection of the previous day flooded into his mind quickly, bringing a morose look to his face.

"We're gonna die, aren't we?" he said quietly. Nobody wanted answer the question; everybody knew the answer.

Despite this, Batta had managed to smile, which surprised both Eoleo and Sveta.

"Why are you so happy?" Eoleo asked his first mate. Batta shook his head, folding his legs against the semi damp ground.

"I know this is gonna sound odd…" he said. "But there's naught we can do really. I guess I'm just trying to ease the tension in this cell. Just because we're destined to die, doesn't mean that we can't spend the last days of our lives smiling, eh?" he encouraged.

"I can't understand you sometimes" Eoleo huffed. "You're not shaken by this at all, aren't you?"

"Now that's a lie" Batta groaned. "I'm scared of what's to come, but talking makes me feel a little better at least. I suppose I've had a longer life than everybody else here though…" he sighed, looking down to the floor.

"…There's no music playing today" Sveta noticed.

"Oh yeah…" Eoleo added, looking up to the window as Sveta averted her gaze from the same spot. "I wonder why?"

"I wouldn't be surprised if Stamford's told them to stop" Sveta growled. "I can remember when my brother was on the throne, he'd laugh at Stamford's musings when he paced about the castle, cussing about the music being played outside. He never liked culture…only war"

"Do you know what he's going to do?" Batta asked.

"He's gonna start a war with Bilibin and Sana" Eoleo revealed. "If that's what I heard correctly, of course"

"The scariest thing is that he might win" Sveta added, shaking her head. "If there's one thing Stamford knows how to do very well, its running an army and fighting battles. Had the Tuarapang had their way with my brother, then Stamford and his army would have run riot"

"He's that good?" Batta asked.

"I'm afraid so" Sveta confirmed. "Once he's set the campaign through its paces, then it's curtains for us…in front of everyone"

Silence reigned in the room again. Batta disliked the silence so much that he thought of a story to fill the blankness around them.

"…I remember being in a place like this before…in Alhafra, if I remember correctly" Batta started. Both Eoleo and Sveta paid attention to Batta as his story begun. "I was recently promoted to being Briggs's first mate, so I was by his side when we secretly docked in Alhafra. It was exciting: we were in the height of our pillaging days, struggling to feed the mouths back at Champa"

"I remember this story" Eoleo said suddenly. "Is this the one where you and Briggs fought the Warriors of Vale?" he asked. Batta let out a chuckle, nodding his head.

"That's right" he revealed. "Anyway, little did we know, somebody got imprisoned for being mistaken as Briggs, and these three warriors come onto the ship and make their way down to the hold, where me and Briggs were chatting about our next move. When they demanded we go and turn ourselves in, we refused and scrapped with them. Briggs called some other crewmen down to help fight with him, but we lost beaten pretty badly by the three fighters" he explained. "We were jailed then, and I wouldn't have been surprised if they had plans to execute us. But Briggs planned a miraculous escape, and we hightailed it: it was an amazing feeling to break out of captivity, to fight against the odds and escape to safety once again. It was defining living on the edge"

"Wow…it sounds like Briggs was a very daring man" Sveta noted.

"He may have been daring, but he only did it for the good of Champa" Eoleo continued. "My dad was one of the figureheads for Champa during the time our crop had failed. My dad's efforts rescued Champa for starvation, so no matter what people say about him, he'll always be a good man to me" Eoleo defended. "If he were here, he'd be planning his escape route right now…"

"If only we could do the same" Batta sighed. "But I remember the jail in Alhafra was small, and the town itself was meager in comparison to this city here. I don't think we could escape this place, even if we tried"

"…Maybe when they lead us to our execution, we could try and escape then?" Eoleo suggested.

"Perhaps, my boy…" Batta grumbled. "Perhaps…"


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11

"My brother and I watched the first ever production that was ever held in the opera house. I was small, and I didn't really understand what opera was like, but I remember me laughing at the funny voices whilst my brother tried to calm me down. I'll never forget it, hah hah…"

It had been two whole weeks since they had been thrown in the cell. Sveta had finished telling everybody in the cell about the history of the Belinsk Opera House, bringing another story to an end. Ever since their terrible incarceration, the group had consigned themselves to try and motivate each other as much as possible. In the mornings, they would wake and eat the disgusting food that they were given, refusing to be put down by the poor treatment. They would work out by doing many laps of the prison cell, engaging in push-ups and sit-ups. Afterwards, they would draw pictures by scratching at the mud on the walls. They would have competitions on who could do the best drawings and they would play games to pass the time. In the nights, they would all sit around in a circle and tell stories to each other, huddling for warmth and enjoying the company that they had. The fact that they were destined to die still weighed heavily on their mind, but day by day, the burden was becoming easier to carry.

Sveta never would have imagined that her last days would be spent like this. She dared to say that she was starting to get used to sleeping on a damp floor. She had gotten used to the smell of body odor that lingered in the cell and her eyes had adjusted to the darkness of the cell. During one night, having finished telling her story, the rest of the pirates around her laughed, humored by the story. Eventually, the circle broke off into small little social circles as it usually would after a good session of storytelling. Both Eoleo and Sveta sat next to their designated spot on the wall, leaning against it.

"That was a good story" Eoleo mumbled.

"Thanks…" Sveta mumbled back. The two of them had grown a lot closer during their incarceration. Seeming she was the only girl in the cell, it was hard for Eoleo to adjust himself to the majority of the males when she was around. Yet it felt nice to talk to someone different and it was true that neither of them had spoken much to each other during their adventure in stopping the Grave Eclipse.

"…I wanna ask you something" Eoleo said after a small silence.

"What is it?" Sveta asked.

"…How old was your brother when he first took the throne?" Eoleo asked.

"…He was twenty" Sveta said after a short silence of her own. "His reign lasted three years until he died"

"And how old are you now?" Eoleo continued.

"Fifteen"

"That's…pretty young"

"It isn't what you think, believe it or not"

"Hm?"

"You might think that fifteen is young for someone to be taking the throne, but you mustn't forget that I'm a beastman. We're part animal…and my animal, the wolf, has a shorter life expectancy than a human. Seeming I'm a bit of both…well, my life expectancy takes an average of the two, and then leans towards whatever form I resemble naturally. For instance, I naturally appear more humanlike, so my life expectancy is closer to a human's than a wolf's"

"I'm sorry, you lost me at the whole life expectancy thing"

"Hee hee, it's complicated. A human's life expectancy is about seventy five to eighty, am I correct?"

"Depends. But on average, that's about right"

"I estimate my life expectancy is about sixty five then"

"…So you're still fifteen?"

"Yes. But if I were fully human…then I'd be about nineteen to twenty…actually, yeah, I'd be twenty"

Eoleo started to blush. He secretly knew why he had pursued his questioning, and Sveta noticed that his face had gone slightly redder around his cheeks. Not even his red, unruly hair could disguise his blush.

"…Eoleo, are you okay?" she asked jokingly. "You've gone all red"

Eoleo looked away abruptly, blushing even more. His 'look at the ceiling and pretend you're not paying attention to her' tactic had failed miserably and he was reeling from being caught out. Sveta, amused by Eoleo's sense of self-shame, started to giggle. She realized that she was blushing as well, although she paid little heed to it. The two were sat awkwardly next to each other until Batta turned up to talk to them.

Meanwhile, up in the throne room, Stamford was busy discussing his tactics for attack with his generals. In front of the throne, a large map had been set out on a great oak table, detailing the entire continent. There were figurines set out on the table and Stamford was stood at one side, his hands sprawled across gaps on the map, surrounded by different colored figurines.

"The most important thing is that we can move as close to the Bilibin border without any fighting breaking out" Stamford explained, pointing to the border on the map. "Tell me, have we placed a perimeter around the border?"

"Yes sir" one of the generals confirmed.

"Good" Stamford. "Now, next we need to know about Kolima. I sent a communiqué to them requesting their aid in this campaign, seeming they **are **part of Morgal, but they still haven't answered"

"I suggest we forget about them!" one of the generals shouted. "If they don't want to be part of the war, then let them sit about and let the big boys play!"

"As brashly as you put it…" a calmer general responded. "…he is right. If Kolima are unwilling to lend men, then we just let them be. We can continue to reinforce the perimeters around the Bilibin border just as efficiently"

"I'm worried that Kolima will disrupt the perimeter" Stamford explained, pointing to the Kolima town perimeter noted on the map. "Can you see how close the Kolima perimeter and the Bilibin border is? The small pinch there is going to be hard to defend. Kolima may not spare troops, but they're getting in the way. If we're to secure a strong perimeter, then they'll have to relinquish the town under our command so we can use it as a defensive outpost"

"And what if they refuse?" the loud general asked.

"Then compromise with them!" Stamford tutted. "Tell then that a tidal wave of angry Bilibin bastards are coming to tear them limb from limb, and that _we'll _defend them if they'll allow us to use their town! I don't care if you have to threaten them with your own weapons, that town is _ours _to govern. I am their king, remember, so they should know fully well to follow my demands when told"

"Right away, sir" the general replied, marching out of the room.

"Have we received anything from Bilibin?" a general asked.

"We have had letters regarding the sudden change in the monarchy from all over Angara" Stamford explained. "Some have reacted rather negatively to it, but it means nothing to us. I have thrown the letters to the fire" he revealed. He continued to study the map, waiting for somebody to perhaps say something about the letters. There was no sound for at least thirty seconds before he talked again.

"…Now, the Sana campaign…" Stamford grunted, wiping his tired and heavy eyes. "I want fresh troops ready to advance as soon as we can guarantee a victory in Bilibin"

"Sir, may I suggest we move the troops out to establish a camp here…" a red armored general suggested as he pointed to a spot about a few centimeters on the map away from the Sana border. "About twenty miles from the Sana border"

Stamford frowned as he turned his head up just far enough so that his eyes were visible from underneath his crown, his head shaded by its shadow.

"Explain to me why" he said quickly.

"Well" the red general begun, moving a block representing Morgal troops towards the spot he pointed at. "According to the geology of the area, there is a slight depression in the land where Sana is in comparison to this area here; what's significant is the fact that the land sinks rather dramatically within a few meters. This 'fault line' so to speak stretches along for at least a mile. I thought if we establish a strong camp there by the fault line, we'd be at an advantage with the terrain"

"Continue" Stamford asked.

"You see, we have to consider the war's effect on other nations; this isn't discreet war you know" the red general pointed out. "If Sana and Bilibin were to side with each other, then we could expect an unexpected attack from Sana during our Bilibin campaign, which would be devastating. Setting up camp at this area by the fault line will not only allow us a good vantage point, but we'll be able to spot Sana advancing for miles, giving us ample time to prepare a defense and effectively safeguarding our military and our capital"

Stamford mulled around the general's plan, thinking carefully about any flaws.

"…When I was learning military tactics…" he said quietly. "I was taught that during plan discussions, if someone were to suggest a plan, it was only plausible if you yourself could not think of a way to overcome it" he said. He then looked up and smiled deviously at the general. "I advise you to be careful, but I believe your plan appears to be rather flawless. I will assign the reserve troops to you and I want them to move out at once"

"Yes sir" the red general barked, triumphant that his plan had gone through. As he marched out, Stamford slapped his hands lightly against the wooden table.

"We'll adjourn this meeting for a few hours" Stamford sighed, walking to his throne. As the generals saluted and left the room, Stamford slumped onto the throne, rubbing his eyes. Running a war was a tiring business and the last few nights of sleep for him had been turbulent and without peace. However, deep down in his mind, he was glad that his military operations were in effect. The war had started.


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12

Another week had gone by and there was still no news of their upcoming execution. The prison inmates had mostly received the news now; they knew that they were all heading for the same fate. Thanks to Eoleo and Batta, the politics within the cell were kept clean and fair for all. Inside the cell, everyone was treated as equals, and after three long weeks, everyone was starting to become happier inside the cell. Death didn't seem like such a bad thing now.

As night drew over once more, the pirates prepared themselves to go to sleep. Despite this, Sveta couldn't find herself feeling tired. She remained kneeling against the wall, watching as the pirates settled down to sleep on the hard ground. She herself had taken to sleeping upright with her head rested in a groove in the wall, which prevented her from slumping. Sometimes she would sleep on Eoleo, whose large, bulky arms served as a nice pillow. She had even started using her shirt, which she had managed to keep clean by constantly wearing her now filthy robe, to rub against her fangs to keep them clean. Her little system pleased her and her survival instinct was in full swing.

Eoleo had gone to a corner of the cell where a small hole in the floor substituted as the toilet. His business was short and quick; zipping his trousers before returning to his spot next to Sveta. By this time, all the pirates had now nodded off, leaving only the two of them awake.

Settling down, he made himself as comfortable as he could.

"Good night" he said. But Sveta still couldn't find the conviction to sleep. Not wanting to be awake by herself, she sighed.

"I can't sleep" she said flatly. Eoleo turned his head to look at her.

"You can't sleep?" he asked. Sveta responded by nodding her head, leaning against Eoleo like a sandbag. "Well what are you gonna do about it?" Sveta examined something that had been growing on Eoleo for quite some time. She sniggered a little.

"Nice moustache" she said. Eoleo's eyes opened in surprise as his moustache came under attention. Feeling his face, he realized for the first time in three weeks that he hadn't shaved and that his facial hair had broken out. Despite his red hair, he had a brown moustache and a beard that reached all the way to his sideburns hidden beneath his hair. It had grown to be quite thick, and unfortunately, tangled, due to the lack of care.

"Heh, I guess I have gotten pretty hairy lately" he noted. "…Say, if you can't sleep, then can you do me a favor?" he asked.

"What can I do for you?" she asked, scratching her nose delicately and licking the fur of her hand.

"Could you give me a shave?" he asked.

"A…shave?" Sveta asked, turning around and sitting on her knees to look at the slumped Eoleo, who appeared pretty drowsy.

"I figured your claws were sharp enough, and if you're not tired, then you can help me out with controlling my facial hair" he noted. Sveta started to giggle at the strangeness of the request. She felt slightly rebellious and twisted her head to the side, her own hand made braids swinging behind her ears.

"I don't know…" she said, smiling. "What's in it for me?" Eoleo started to feel the heat of the exchange.

"_Oh, here we go_" he thought to himself. "_This is where it gets flirtatious…_"

"Well, what would you like?" Eoleo asked, deciding to pursue his own adventurous path with Sveta. Sveta thought for a few second before an idea sprouted in her head.

"You'll let me sleep in your arms" she said, making her decision clear. Eoleo's premonition had been confirmed: this was definitely flirting. Inside a prison cell. Unbelievable, he thought. They were supposed to fear an upcoming execution, and here they were, teasing with each other in the most unlikely of places. Eoleo breathed out deeply as Sveta sharpened one of her claws.

"Remember" Eoleo warned. "If you cut me at any point, I expect a free heal"

He chuckled a little as he sat back. Sveta shuffled up next to him and he felt her hold onto his head softly with her left hand. Eoleo felt his nerves rise slightly as her hand slid down his rough cheek and took hold beneath his chin. She then moved in very closely and primed her sharpened claws.

Delicately, she swiped her sharp claw in small, swift strokes, slicing off the hairs on Eoleo's face. Eoleo was nervous as she methodically swiped away at each his hairs, cutting them close to his skin.

"I'll have to leave some stubble behind, unless you want me to risk cutting you" she said.

"Nah, it's fine…" Eoleo grumbled. As she held his head and cut away the facial hair, Eoleo couldn't help but feel a sense of therapy in the shaving session. He was initially nervous, hoping that the flirting hadn't gone too far, but as Sveta cut away at his beard, his heart rate returned to normal and he felt as if he was at a barber's, being tended to like a loyal customer.

As Sveta reached the halfway point at his chin, she started to feel uneasy from the silence. Thinking hard about something to say, her gaze fell down onto the scar on Eoleo's tightened stomach.

"I completely forgot about your wounds" she said quietly as she continued her business. "How are you feeling now?"

"A lot better" Eoleo answered. "You may have seen me doing the sit-ups with the boys on mornings without any trouble"

"You did get kicked really hard in the stomach thought…twice" Sveta noted.

"I'm pretty much all healed up now and it's all thanks to you" Eoleo murmured, opening his eyes and looking right into Sveta's eyes. He felt a genuine truth in his words as he took in a deep breath, slightly caught off by the pause in Sveta's shaving as she stopped to look at his eyes. "Your healing's the reason my stomach patched up just in time. One healing session less and those kicks probably would have been fatal"

"But what about your back?" Sveta asked, stopping her shaving for a minute as she awaited Eoleo's answer.

"…It's a little sore, but I'll be fine" Eoleo said. He smiled, rubbing the half-shaven side of his face. "I didn't say stop"

The two chuckled and Sveta carried on whittling away at Eoleo's hairs. Minute by minute, Eoleo's moustache and beard turned into tidy, rugged stubble. Eoleo could feel Sveta's concentrated breaths condensing on his newly shaved cheeks. He came to realize the intimacy of their little session, almost as if it were some sort of relationship workshop. But what unnerved Eoleo the most was what was to happen when the procedure was over. Would something happen, or would they just leave it at good night? He clearly identified that there had been playful flirting between the two of then after he had asked her about her age, almost as if it were an assurance to find whether this was acceptable or not.

Drawing another breath, he closed his eyes and thought heavily about the time they must have spent during their previous adventure. The times, few and far between, when they had conversations remained foggy and unclear in his mind. The topics of their conversation didn't seem very interesting, evident in the way that Eoleo was struggling to remember them. He could faintly remember talking with Sveta about how the rudder of a ship worked, but apart from that, there was little else. So why now was he suddenly enraptured by the creature that cut away at his beard, almost like an innocent bird tending to the teeth and jaws of a lion? What was it about her that was captivating him all so suddenly?

Maybe it was her survival instinct. As a pirate, his father had always taught Eoleo to make due with what you had, especially at sea. Admittedly, this was the toughest scenario Eoleo had had to deal with, with the lashes to his back and his injuries. But it wasn't as if he had never been in a tough squeeze before. Eoleo had survived countless stormy nights out at sea, sacrificing precious hours of sleep to tend to the ship and prevent the heckling waves from capsizing the many boats he had boarded in his life. Seeing the same form of will to stay alive in Sveta was rather attractive to Eoleo, maybe it was just the way he was programmed.

It wasn't just that though. Eoleo knew if he only wanted survival instinct in a partner, he would have gone on dates with a bear. It was the one small secret that Eoleo had been hiding within himself from the point that he first met Sveta. Opening his eyes slightly, he could see Sveta's face on a semi side profile, the few fine hairs that matter the back of her jaw bone, bringing a silky, shimmering glow to her face, despite the filth of their prison cell and the darkness of the atmosphere around them. When she smiled, he could see her spiky wisdom teeth, which added a strange, yet somewhat soothing addition to her smile and her joy. Her silver hair shone as well, and there was something about the way her ears would droop or raise when her emotions changed accordingly what warmed Eoleo inside.

He chuckled to himself. It was strange that he was feeling like this; he had never felt like this about someone before. Sure; he had his flings before. He could remember that through all his voyages, he had met a lot of women and had flirted and gone further with many. But despite all his previous experience, it didn't quite match this. He could place a hand on his heart and say he had never felt this way about anyone in his life. Ever. He chuckled once more, almost unable to believe it.

"Why are you laughing?" Sveta asked suddenly as she worked on his right sideburn, the shaving almost complete. Eoleo almost jumped, not realizing how loud his chuckling was.

"Oh…it's nothing special" he said, breathing out again. With a final swipe, Sveta cut away at the last bristles of the right sideburn, the shaving job complete.

"Well, I'm done" Sveta sighed, shuffling back to administer her work. "What do you think?"

There were no mirrors of any kind in the room, so Eoleo judged the job by rubbing his hands across his new stubble. It had been cut very finely; any closer and it could have been bloody. Having said that, he was thoroughly impressed by the fineness of his beard and moustache.

"It's great" he spoke, smiling as he continued to feel his new facial hair. "You cut it very fine: you should do this more often for me"

"I should, shouldn't I?" Sveta twittered. She rubbed her lips together and looked up at Eoleo, resting her hands just above her knees. Expectant.

"…Right, your reward" Eoleo said, blushing a little. "You can position yourself as you want…just be sensible" he added, unable to hide his face. His shaven beard now revealed more of his reddening face than before now, and Sveta clearly noticed the embarrassment. She flushed red as well, but she was unable to hide her giddy smile. She shuffled up close to Eoleo and sat on his legs, surprising Eoleo with her lightness. She rested her back on Eoleo's powerful, barreled chest, before grabbing his wrists and wrapping his arms around her midsection like a scarf. Eoleo's face was smothered by her hair, forcing him to rest his head upon her shoulder. This was the price for a shave, he thought.

"Well, I hope you're comfortable" he snorted, suddenly realizing how uncomfortable the night was going to be.

"I'm sorry" she said.

"Agh, stop apologizing!" Eoleo scolded, chuckling straight afterwards.

"Oops…" Sveta mumbled. "Good night, Eoleo…"

"Good night"

Minutes passed and a thought sprouted in Eoleo's head that made his heart thud powerfully. He was afraid that the thumping of his heart would accidentally wake Sveta from her sleep. How could he, he thought. It was a preposterous idea and he started to silently curse himself for even thinking it. Maybe he was a pirate, but even pirates had a sense of honor. He couldn't take such advantages.

Then again, he was supposed to be getting executed at some point. What was life worth if one didn't take risks?

Gathering all the courage he had, before he could allow his drowsiness overcome him, he puckered his lips and kissed the side of Sveta's head. It was short, a peck at most, a little goodnight kiss. No harm in that, surely?

Of course there was no harm in it, he thought. He felt a slight shock to his senses from feeling the soft silkiness of her hair against his roughened lips. Sveta had fallen asleep by this point, and slowly, covered in a sense of victory, so did Eoleo.


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13

The next day went by remarkably fast in the cell. There wasn't any change to the day's usual schedule, wake up, exercises, an attempt to eat the 'food' given to them, before the rest of the activities such as imagination games, stories and just general chat.

Sveta for once had broken off into a group that didn't have either Eoleo or Batta included. She seemed to have come into her own with the pirates, being able to hold surprisingly intelligent conversations with them. Both Batta and Eoleo were talking to each other, and unbeknownst to Sveta, they were talking about her.

"You _like _her, do you?" Batta asked. He knew his question didn't need an answer by the now familiar tint of red to Eoleo's cheeks.

"I'm struggling to believe it too" Eoleo muttered, trying to keep his voice down in the fear of Sveta hearing it. "What strikes me more is the fact it's taken this much time. I mean, we saw each other every _day _when we were stopping the Grave Eclipse, but we didn't talk nearly half as much as we do now" he explained.

"It's nice to see you finally having a crush on someone" Batta laughed. Eoleo shook his head in disagreement.

"It's not a crush" he defended. "Crushes are for kids. I had crushes when I was twelve, not thirty one"

"Okay, it's an…ah, what's the word…inflation?" Batta asked.

"…Infatuation, isn't it?" Eoleo asked. Batta clicked his fingers, nodding his head as the word entered his head.

"Yep, that's the word" he said. "It's like an adult crush"

Eoleo sighed as he moved his legs to sit cross-legged. The weather had brought them good fortune with the sun, drying up the dampness of the cell's floors and walls. As he craned his neck to look at Sveta, who was listening intently to the account of one of the pirates and his family back at Champa, he shivered.

"…So tell Uncle Batta" Batta teased, shuffling closer to Eoleo. "What's the reason?"

Batta may have been a little mischievous, but Eoleo knew that he could trust him with his life. Having been his _and _his father's first mate throughout their tenures and captains, Batta was a man whose severe, passionate loyalty was a great foundation to build an absolute trust upon.

"I don't know…" Eoleo huffed with an exasperated tone, a wrinkle appearing on his brow. "She's kind, she doesn't abuse her position. I mean, if it weren't for Sveta letting me stay here, I probably would have died, Batta. She cared for my life when it was in danger, and even now, when we're staring death in the face with supposedly no way to escape, she's still here for me. Every day up in the room before the coup, she came to the room and provided me with healing sessions for my stab wound. Here, she talks to me and she sleeps next to me, how could I not fall in love with…ah!"

Batta's face lit up in utter glee as Eoleo stumbled on his words.

"My boy…" he said quietly.

"I didn't mean that" Eoleo uttered resolutely.

"There's no denying it, you said it" Batta retaliated.

"I know" Eoleo surrendered swiftly, slumping a little. Batta's excitement fizzled out as he realized his friend wasn't smiling anymore.

"Hey, there's nothing wrong with being in love" Batta said in a hushed, soft tone, speaking quieter than ever from the fear of Sveta hearing. He peeked over Eoleo's shoulder to see if she was still preoccupied; she was. Kneeling back, he patted Eoleo's shoulder.

"I've been in love before and I'm still standing, eh?" he noted.

"I know it's okay…" Eoleo grumbled, looking up at Batta with a frown on his face. "But Sveta…she's not gonna like it at all"

"Don't delude yourself, boy" Batta cheered. "You told me a few minutes ago that you were flirting. She even shaved your beard off herself, without any razors! _That _takes effort, you know"

A faint smile broke out through Eoleo's frown.

"So…you think I have a chance?" he asked. Batta nodded in confirmation.

"Life's too short to not take chances" Batta said. "…You know, at any moment, a guard will arrive and call us to our deaths" he warned, sending a chill down Eoleo's chest and back. "This is why you shouldn't dawdle about. Talk to her when the night starts drawing in and cross your fingers. You're a pirate, remember. You've been in far worse states before. It sounds like she's thrown herself into a sea of adversity, just for you. Take the chance, and live whatever life is left to the fullest, no matter how short it may suddenly become…"

Batta's advice burned inside of Eoleo's mind throughout the day until it was nightfall. As everybody was setting themselves down to sleep, Eoleo knelt against his spot on the wall. His heart was pounding; resolution was on his mind tonight. Watching Sveta as she used her shirt to clean out her teeth, he took in a deep breath and felt the adrenaline rushing through his body. It felt just like the moment before engaging in battle with an enemy ship. Willing himself to stay still, he witnessed Sveta turning around and moving to her spot beside him.

"What's wrong?" she asked as she positioned herself next to him. "You're as alert as ever tonight"

"It's nothing" Eoleo shrugged. "My sleeping pattern's gone a little out of sync these last few weeks"

"Has it really been that long?" Sveta asked. "I don't really know anymore…"

There was a tense silence between the two; Eoleo saw the window of opportunity opening up in front of him. Drawing the hardest breath he had taken for a long time, he forced the oxygen into his lungs before opening his mouth to speak.

"…You know last night?" Sveta spoke suddenly. Eoleo suddenly choked on his breath and started coughing. Sveta jumped as he whooped by her side, almost shocked that she had startled him so badly. Desperately regaining his composure, he turned around, covering his mouth with his hand.

"Yeah?" he asked between coughs. Sveta watched as Eoleo's coughing continued, feeling a giggle building up inside her as she watched Eoleo clear up his act and rest back against the wall.

"When we were about to go to sleep, did you…uh…kiss me?" she asked. Eoleo didn't register the question until a few seconds later, when his eyes bolted wide open.

_"Uh oh…" _he thought. He was absolutely sure that she was asleep when he gave her a kiss on the cheek. It was meant to be a stealthy, sentimental move for his own pleasure, not a genuine gesture for her to feel. What was he supposed to say now, he was thinking. _Am I gonna lie?_

"And what if I did?" Eoleo asked, hastily batting his question at Sveta. He felt the pressure building as she cocked her head in confusion.

"Why do you look so nervous?" she asked. She was striking the jugular now, Eoleo thought. Summoning all of his will, he finally composed himself and twisted his head to look at Sveta.

"Okay, I did" he revealed. "I thought you fell asleep, and you weren't supposed to feel it"

Her brows furrowed. "But why didn't you want me to feel it?" she asked. Eoleo started to worry as her expression changed subtly from confusion to genuine hurt. He breathed out harshly, trying not to look villainous in his explanation. He looked at Batta; he decided to be honest. The worst-case scenario was that he would die single.

"Because I was afraid that you wouldn't be…happy" he said slowly.

"Happy?" she asked once again. "But I am happy, Eoleo"

"You are?"

Sveta shuffled up to Eoleo as he slumped down slightly; their heads were at level height. A genuine smile appeared on her lips, just about revealing the tips of her pearl white fangs.

"Of course I am" she said. "Despite everything that's happened to us…you make me happy"

Warmth spread through Eoleo like a filling hot water bottle. But Sveta asked a question that would probe right to Eoleo's heart.

"Are you happy?"

Eoleo closed his eyes, his next exhalation slow and thoughtful. Reopening his eyes, he directed his gaze right towards Sveta's own eyes, filling himself with a burning sincerity. It came to him at that point that there was one word that could describe his state and how he felt. Burning. Flaming, pyroclastic, raging, blazing, glowing. A real and candid, sincere heat that flushed his body from head to toe.

"I am" he said. "I owe a lot to you, and for once I'm sorry if I ever seemed like I've acted selfishly about it"

Sveta suddenly moved forward and kissed Eoleo, sliding a hand behind his head as she pressed herself against him. Eoleo was taken by complete surprise. He wasn't able to move his own lips against Sveta's press; he could feel the tips of her fangs touching his stubbly moustache. Like a flash, she pulled away, panting for breath. Eoleo chuckled as soon as she pulled away, feeling the tingle on his own lips. Wiping the thin line of saliva away from his upper lip, he examined Sveta's now flushed face.

"You've never done that before, haven't you?" he asked, incapable of holding back his beaming smile. Sveta's eyes frantically darted about, quickly taking in every feature Eoleo's own face. Her hand was still behind the back of his head, caressing the strands of his hair with her claws.

"H-how could you tell?" she whispered.

"You didn't even give me a chance to kiss you back" he said.

"O-oh…I'm sorry" she uttered, bringing her spare hand to her mouth. It was clear that she was tingling all over; she reacted as if flies were buzzing by her face, twitching in disbelief at what she had done. Eoleo could only snicker at Sveta's inexperience. Rubbing the soft side of his knuckle against Sveta's face, he smoothed the fine hairs on the back of her jaw.

"There you go, apologizing again" he noted, revealing his own set of teeth, only slightly yellowed by his nature as a pirate. Sveta's eyes jerked slightly, not even realizing she had said sorry again, before huffing, a smile breaking out on her face as well.

"That wasn't nice" she teased.

"Sorry" Eoleo replied. "Agh, now you've got me saying it!"

The two laughed quietly, before Sveta moved her other hand behind Eoleo's head and leant in to kiss him again.

"Um, Sveta" Eoleo whispered quickly before their lips met.

"What?" she asked.

"We've got an audience"

She slowly turned her head to see the rest of the pirates watching them with eyes wide open. She had downright forgotten that she was still in a prison cell full of pirates; all of who were female starved and hadn't seen any hint of romance since landing in Belinsk. Even as she looked at Batta, a cheesy grin was plastered on his bearded face.

Sadly, for Sveta and Eoleo, the rest of the night went sleepless thanks to the pirates, who badgered them about the story of their budding romance all the way until the sun rose.


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter 14

"Word on the street says you might not get executed"

There were the words that caused every single person inside of the cell to turn their attention to the cell guard, who had told them the news just three weeks later.

"No way!" one of the pirates shouted in joy. The pirates started to celebrate, but as soon as they did, Eoleo stood up and controlled them with a wave of his hand.

"Quiet, quiet!" he commanded, the pirates piping down swiftly. Everybody was on their feet as they surrounded the cell gate, where the guard stood on the other side with his news. Making his way to the front of the pack with Sveta, he cleared his throat.

"Who told you this?" Eoleo asked, his face intense with seriousness. The guard shrugged, placing his lance against the wall.

"Like I said, it's word on the street" he said. "I suppose you haven't heard what's been happening in the outside world lately"

"What's been happening?" Sveta asked. The guard hesitated, but couldn't hold his news inside.

"They say that Stamford's lost the war"

Everybody was taken aback by the news. Many gasped, others choked on the thick and heavy air around them. Eoleo pressed himself up close against the cell door, eager to know more.

"How do you know?" he asked.

"As a guard, I'm wary of the military news" the guard explained.

"Tell us everything" Batta requested.

"If you want" the guard shrugged. "This might take some time though, so you should all sit down"

"We can stand" Batta assured. The guard nodded, ready to speak.

"Do as you please" the guard noted. "Anyway, when Stamford took over, war was the first thing on his mind"

"I know" Sveta added. "He talked about warring as if it was this country's destiny"

"Stamford's always been passionate about fighting" the guard explained. "Ever since the beginning, he's been at the military forefront, running all of their operations. Had it not been for you father and his brother, his military exploits would have grown to…catastrophic sizes. It's a testament to their nerve, even the Tuarapang couldn't influence your brother fast enough to start an outbreak of war" he explained.

"I could remember the tension in the throne room" Sveta recalled. "My brother would he shouting and arguing with so many people…he didn't have a shred of peace or support. Tensions were already severe between Morgal and the countries Bilibin and Sana"

"In any case…" the guard cut across. "He set his forces out and split them into two sub armies, one for Bilibin and one for Sana. He wanted to conquer Bilibin first to he could ascertain the might of his own army and assess his tactics"

"Kinda like shaking off ring rust?" Eoleo asked. The guard nodded in confirmation.

"This was the biggest operation Stamford had ever attempted to pull, so he needed to be careful" the guard continued. "He set out a blockade of sorts around the Bilibin border whilst the battalion headed for Sana set up a huge base camp near their border at a strategic defense point, immune from direct contact and such. In Bilibin, the troops organized their defense perimeter around every meter of border as a means to aggravate the Bilibin army and force them to move first, allowing Stamford a pre-emptive strike on their army"

"That's…immense" Batta said quietly. "Surely the Bilibin border is huge?"

"It was very impressive when he set the troops up around every section of the border" the guard huffed. "Since that point, Stamford was playing a waiting game with Bilibin. This was the point where fatal mistakes had been made"

"I was thinking that it was strange" Sveta hummed. "If Stamford was supposed to be a great military leader and tactician, then how is he losing the war so badly…and so _fast_?" she asked.

"As powerful a military genius he is…" the guard said. "He has flaws which doomed him from the start"

"Flaws?" Eoleo questioned. "As in, tactical flaws?"

"No, flaws as a living being" the guard corrected. "Literally days after he started his military campaign, there were rumors that Stamford had taken to his bed, ill. There were other rumors saying that he was dying, but after some time, I decided to satisfy my own curiosity and find out. I discovered that he wasn't exactly _dying_, but suffering an illness worse than death"

Suspense was rife through the cage. Everybody hung on the words of the cell guard like a storyteller at a cliffhanger.

"…He's suffering from insomnia" he revealed.

"You mean…he can't sleep?" Sveta asked.

"That's right" the guard confirmed. "Even now, he's given up on sleeping, and when he has to, he'll lie for a long time with his eyes right open, bloodshot. His sanity has been…far removed from him"

"As if he wasn't crazy enough" Eoleo spat. "So why's he losing sleep for?"

"This is what I meant as in him having problems as a living being" the guard explained. "His integrity is surprisingly weak. Ever since he's waged war, he's been struck with a paranoia that's been robbing him of sleep…and common sense now. This is why the tides have completely turned"

"What has he done?" Sveta asked, desperate as ever to learn the truth.

"The first mistake was because of his paranoia" the guard explained. "He initially positioned a series of large reserve battalions near the perimeters he set up. In the case that the Bilibin forces broke through the perimeter, they would be ambushed by the reserve forces and soundly beaten. Unfortunately, Stamford was increasingly worrying about his perimeter, believing that it was too thin to withstand any form of attack, so he moved all of his reserve forces out to the perimeter and thickened the line. This mistake wouldn't become evident until Bilibin launched their attack. The second mistake was just as fatal…Kolima" he said.

"Kolima…" Sveta said quietly. "Did Stamford turn on them?"

"Quite the contrary, he wanted Kolima to aid him" the guard explained. "Kolima was in the path of his perimeter and Stamford sensibly realized that Kolima would be perfect to set up a defensive outpost. His mistake was in his negotiations; because of his insomnia, he was highly irritable, and at the first moment that Kolima refused to offer its hand in the war, he flew into a rage. I remember actually being in the throne room when he heard that Kolima wouldn't allow him to use their resources, he struck his fists on the table and screamed curse words with a voice that chilled my blood"

"Doesn't sound very pleasant" Batta noted.

"Did he do anything to Kolima?" Sveta asked, slightly worried for their state.

"Stamford…was savage in his decision" the guard shuddered. "He ordered that all of Kolima be imprisoned. Stamford was desperate to have Kolima, so he used his brute strength to seize his own land"

Sveta clenched her fists, growling.

"That savage..." she snarled quietly. "How could he be so greedy?"

"Luckily, the news gets better for them" the guard assured. "Stamford had treated them so badly that they turned against him"

Eoleo smiled, but Sveta cursed quietly to herself. Eoleo noticed this and turned around.

"What's wrong?" he asked.

"Kolima wouldn't stand a chance against the army!" she flustered.

"They…were very crafty, I must admit" the guard said, causing Sveta to spin around, her entire attention devoted to the guard's next word. "They knew they couldn't fight; they didn't even have a single soldier to fight back. So they gave in to Stamford's demands and as a result they were freed from their cells. The following night, whilst the Kolima section of the perimeter had their turn to sleep, the Kolima people allowed Bilibin's strongest troops to sneak into Kolima. The next day, Bilibin attacked. Stamford had no idea about the defection, and his forces all around the border were decimated by the surprise attack, thrown into disarray due to the slight flaw in the plan"

"I get it…" Eoleo murmured. "Stamford had wound his plans so tight that it was like glass. It worked on paper, but he never would have anticipated that Kolima would have turned against him!"

"That's right" the guard confirmed. "For Bilibin, the attack was akin to shooting fish in a barrel. Quite a few troops have gone cold, many are unfortunately dead, and the rest are either captured or still alive and are running as fast as they can back here to Belinsk"

"What about Sana?" Sveta asked.

"They didn't even get a chance to attack" the guard continued. "According to our intelligence, they heard that Bilibin was under attack and joined forces with them. It wasn't a problem until they attacked"

"Wait, Sana attacked?" Batta asked. "But what about the defensive position you said Stamford had set up?"

"Sure, maybe the position was impossible to attack directly, but nobody told Stamford that Sanans prefer to fight with longbows"

Eoleo started to giggle with glee upon hearing the guard's explanation.

"They must have gotten completely decked by Sana!" he chortled.

"Indeed they did" the guard confirmed. "Within days the army sent to invade Sana was broken down by a rain of arrows. They suffered less casualties and capture, but they were still forced to retreat. Last I heard, they were trying to hold off a defensive spot quite a few miles away from here"

"And the Bilibin army?" Sveta asked.

"They're marching right here as we speak" the guard revealed, sending a wave of glee through the prison cell. "Stamford's reserve troops were all taken out in the perimeter battle. There's nothing to defend Belinsk from the Bilibin army now and they could arrive at any time"

As the pirates started to celebrate, Batta felt the need to inquire further.

"Why are you telling us all this?" he asked.

"Personally, I'm sick of Stamford" he said. "Never liked him to begin with, but since he's been on the throne, he's been floundering like a fish out of water. He puts on a strong face and conviction, but he hasn't got the actual stamina to back it up. I think the title of king is too heavy for him, and that's why it was failing"

"And do others feel the same?" Sveta asked, still desperate to know more.

"You bet" the guard revealed. "Haven't you ever noticed the silence outside?"

A silence of its own reigned in the cell as they realized that the guard was telling the truth: ever since Stamford had taken power the music outside had stopped.

"You're right, the band hasn't played once since he's been on the throne" Eoleo noted.

"It's because Stamford abhors culture; he's a man of war remember" the guard reminded. "The city's lost all culture and every piece of funding towards the arts has been stopped in favor for paying of war bonds and such. The opera house hasn't performed a thing since the war started"

"And I'm guessing the people outside are sick of having the life sucked out of them?" Eoleo asked, gesturing to the small, barred window.

"They do, but it's suffering in silence, I'm afraid" the guard said. "Stamford has a no tolerance policy on anyone who opposes him. Even speaking out against the monarchy is punishable by flogging…or worse, death"

Sveta had had enough of hearing about how her beloved city had turned into a terror. She slammed her hands against the wall, Eoleo was quick to be by her side to calm her.

"This isn't a monarchy, it's a dictatorship!" she yelled.

"Come on now, take my arm" Eoleo said calmly. Sveta opted for his entire body instead, holding onto him for some comfort as he looked to the guard.

"Bringing us back to the start…" Eoleo spoke. "How are we going to survive this?"

"I'm only guessing at this stage…" the guard mumbled, before clearing his throat. "But if Bilibin are marching right for Belinsk, then if Stamford has any hope of keeping his reign alive, he'll be fully devoting his attention to preparing his defenses. He might even have to surrender, but even then, he might still hold onto the throne if he doesn't die"

"I won't let that happen" Sveta said determinedly, letting go of Eoleo. "He's in no position to rule"

"I could confidently say that people were happier with discovering that you were all here than the way things are now" the guard said, folding his arms and drooping his head. "I'd want you back in power. I don't care if the military is disbanded and I lose my spot here: Belinsk has learnt its lesson now. I can guarantee that if you were to make it through, the people would take you back with open arms"

"That's pleasing to know…" Sveta sighed quietly. "I've no love for war. It's a waste of money and resources…but most importantly, it's a waste of life. Potential, out the window because of some stupid disagreements with warmongers. What is your name, soldier?"

The guard suddenly jumped, surprised that Sveta had asked for his name.

"My name is Rick" he revealed.

"Rick…thank you for the information and your kindness to share it" Sveta thanked. "If I make it out of here alive, I'll be sure to promote you to one of my personal guards"

"It would be an honor" the guard said. "The way things are now, Stamford has probably forgotten all about you down here" the guard mentioned. "It's us prison guards that remember to bring you the food and stuff. If Stamford was in charge of the prisons too, he'd probably have forgotten all about you, that's how ruined this city is. Stamford's just a maniac who can't tell his head from his feet"

"**What did you say, peasant?**"

The voice rang through the whole cell and the guard's room, startling everybody. Sveta and Eoleo gasped in shock, recognizing the voice that boomed through the door. As soon as the voice slightly faded, they could hear footsteps approaching them. The door was struck open, revealing a man flanked by two guards holding a long chain with multiple handcuffs attached. Everyone stood still in shock as they witnessed the man standing in the middle, wearing the same robes and armor as the day Eoleo had first set eyes on him. Stamford.


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter 15

As soon as his figure was recognized, he muttered an order and a few more guards appeared behind him. Rick the guard was suddenly accosted and knocked unconscious before he could even scream, before being dragged off mercilessly from the room. Eoleo suddenly filled with rage.

"Stamford!" Eoleo yelled, slamming himself against the cell door, reaching his arm out for Stamford's throat. Stamford's eyes were bloodshot red and there were bags beneath his eyes. His face had lost a lot of its smooth complexion to his insomnia, revealing an exhausted, annoyed expression that seemed to be his normal way of looking at things. He walked up to the cell until he was just out of reach of Eoleo's hand, snickering despite his tired demeanor.

"Well, well, well!" he tutted. "Look what I've found: rats in a cellar. My lord, does it stink down here, did you enjoy the hospitality I've given you?" he asked mockingly. Eoleo, realizing that he would never be able to get his hands on Stamford, fell back. Sveta walked up to him and kissed his cheek, trying to calm his seething rage. Stamford watched Sveta kissing Eoleo's cheek and started to laugh maniacally.

"What, not only have you hospitalized the rat, but now you've fallen in love with it too?" he exclaimed. "You truly amuse me, Sveta! To think you were related to your brother"

"Don't you **ever **mention my brother!" Sveta hissed. "To even hear his mention coming from your mouth is a sin enough against my life!"

"Your life has little, no, **zero **purpose, little Sveta girl" Stamford grunted. "Speaking of life, I was reminded not too long ago that I possessed some unwanted trash in the cellars; some lowlifes pissing out their miserable existences out in the prison cells. Look at you, you don't even deserve the prison cell! I should have just chained you to the gutters where the howling rain and winds of the night could have torn at your filthy skins!"

"You can talk yourself up as much as you want, Stamford" Sveta taunted, feeling strengthened by Stamford's failed military operations. "Before long, the Bilibin army will arrive and they'll cut your head right off!"

But as she taunted him, Stamford started to cackle loudly, holding his stomach. Some of his loyal guards, now distinguishable by their capes, started to laugh as well. It hurt Sveta to know that some of the very same soldiers had once served her and her family.

"You fool!" he shouted. "You actually think those Bilibin punks can take me down? Have you forgotten the reason why you're here in the first place?"

Sveta was unsure to begin, but she spotted a small device hidden behind Stamford's blue cloak, attached to his belt. Her heart froze when she remembered.

"The….Psynergy Vortex Machine…" she uttered.

"Damn it!" Eoleo shouted, striking the walls with his fists.

"That's right, they don't know that with the push of a button, they'll have inadvertently caused the deaths of thousands!" he cackled triumphantly. "No matter how many losses outside Belinsk walls there are, once they take a step in, they'll be introduced to _my _rules! I shall bombard their minds with a moral decision, and as long as there are lives to steal with my machine, then I shall never be unseated from my rule!"

"Y-you're a madman…" Batta sputtered.

"I will snuff the lives of the many who dare to defy me! Perhaps my life will reach its end as well, but in the name of Morgal, I give my life and soul" Stamford spoke boldly. "And speaking about life's end, I'm here to end some unfinished business!"

Fear shot through the hearts of everyone in the cell. This was the moment they had been waiting so unenthusiastically for. Death.

"You can't do this…" Sveta said, trying to remain strong. "The Bilibin army will tear you and everyone who stands by your side apart!"

"Nobody shall tear me apart as long as I have my machine!" Stamford yelled. "Now, I'm still inclined to activate it if you don't comply to my demands! Surrender yourselves and allow my guards to cuff you in the chains we have brought. I shall await you on the execution platform…_outside_" he sniggered, spinning on his heel and walking out of the room with his hands firmly clutching each other behind his back.

They had no choice. If they resisted, then everything they had trying to prevent would end. Nervous and a few hysterical, they were bound together by one large chain. Their hands were bound and they were brought out to the outside world for the first time in weeks, prepared and unready for death.

As Eoleo stepped out of the castle's entrance, the brightness of the world outside almost blinded. He stumbled, heart racing, as he struggled to see. The sun was only just peeping through the clouds, being quickly covered by dark smog from the distance. Even though it was a dark day in spirit and nature, the light was an assault on Eoleo's unadjusted eyes. The entire plaza was crowded with people; the noise was impeccable. Yet Eoleo couldn't tell whether they were jeering, cheering, or anything. Everything came though his ears a blur and his eyesight a fuzzy mess.

His heart jumped as he saw the large execution platform that was set out in the plaza. The city gates were closed and as he cast his head back, he felt his heart wrench as he saw his ship, still untouched from the monster attack. He wished he could break his chains and free his pirates before taking them all to the ship and escaping to the wide sea again. He missed the sea very much, and it wrenched his spirit and his mood to know he would never be able to sail again.

Stepping onto the wooden stairs that led up to the execution platform, his legs turned to jelly. He just couldn't believe that he was going to die like this. No fight, no battle, like his father had told himself. He saw Batta in front of him, walking with a powerful sense of honor, and Sveta behind him, her head down, utterly quiet.

Eventually, the guards forced him onto his spot. He could tell by the way the planks of wood were arranged that it was a trapdoor. Everybody was going to see him drop to his death. Looking up, he lost all breath as he saw the dreaded noose above him. The instrument of death.

Everybody was lined up. Eoleo could hear some of his fellow pirates crying, and he felt like crying with them. But he remembered that he was their dedicated captain. He had to be strong. For them. He looked to his side and saw Batta standing still and straight like a true soldier, ready to receive his execution. His eyes were fully closed and he showed no emotion.

The nooses were lowered and placed around their necks. Eoleo felt the deathly chill of the rough rope, already chafing against his neck. It was sturdy and creaked as it was moved, there was no hope of surviving the fall. Looking to his left, he saw Sveta, who was struggling to keep her composure. It was an iconic image to look at, the result of a coup, the previous monarch killed by the usurper. He had heard so many stories, but witnessing the act in real life made him feel sick. It was terrible, and every sob Sveta let out pounded against his heart.

Stamford, who appeared at the end of the platform next to the executioner and his lever, started to preach to the crowd, silencing them. He preached about the same old stuff, calling them all rats and condemning them to an eternity in hell. Throughout, the crowd received the speech with mixed emotions, but Eoleo could pick out the faces in the crowd that were in opposition of Stamford's public murder.

"Sveta!" he called out to Sveta amidst the noise.

"I-I…don't want to die…" she sobbed suddenly.

"Sveta…please don't cry" Eoleo called, unable to turn his head for the tightness of the rope around his neck. "Please, close your eyes and it'll be over"

"E-Eoleo…" she stuttered, stumbling on her tears. "P-please save me…."

"…I'll be able to meet my father again" Eoleo said, looking up to the sky. As he spoke, the rain started to fall very heavily, quickly soaking everyone in the crowd and on the hanging platform. The rain pattered against Eoleo's face; he felt as if he were cleansed for the last time by the gods themselves. He prayed that something would stop the execution, a heart attack or anything, but he chuckled to himself in a euphoric disbelief as he realized that nothing could stop his death now.

"Sveta…when we go to the otherworld…" Eoleo said quietly. "…We can meet my father. I'm sure he'd be pleased to meet you, what do you think about that?"

"T-that…w-w-would be great…." she sniveled. Eoleo twisted his head around until he could see Sveta, whose face was looking back at him, flooded with tears. Eoleo felt a couple of his own tears rising to his face as he comprehended just how stunningly beautiful she was to him.

"Now, let us count the remaining seconds that these dogs have left before they take the first transport straight to hell!" Stamford yelled. Eoleo's heart almost stopped, this was it.

"No words Sveta….just think about the things we can do when we see each other again up there!" Eoleo yelled. He gritted his teeth and closed his eyes, mentally preparing himself for the end. His ears suddenly perked as they adjusted to the countdown.

"Ten!...Nine!...Eight!...Seven!...Six!..."

"Five…Four…Three…"

"Two…**one**…"

"WHOOSH!"


	16. Chapter 16

Chapter 16

There was a huge explosion and debris wiped across Eoleo's tightly clenched eyes. His next breath was smoky, he started coughing as he realized that the hanging felt weird. Opening his eyes, he received a shock. There had been an explosion where the lever was. Stamford was standing shaken next to what looked like a hole that had been blown into the platform, destroying the lever. The trapdoors hadn't dropped, the execution had failed.

"Wh-what the hell?" Stamford yelled. "Where did that cannonball come from? Aargh!"

"Cannonball?" Eoleo thought. His heart started to pound like thunder as he realized what that meant. Before he could establish his idea any further, the gates suddenly crashed open, revealing a large battering ram and a great number of unruly looking brigands, all dressed in rags and bandanas, each wielding cleavers, axes and a variety of different weapons. Everybody on the platform gasped and started yelling in support as they realized who they were.

They were Champan pirates.

Disbelief ran rife across the platform as they saw the pirates rush in and form a defensive shell around the ram. Stamford was stunned, his eyes opened up, revealing the bloody veins inside.

"N-no…" he uttered. "How did they know…?"

He flew into a rage, drawing a knife.

"Don't just stand there!" he screamed. "Kill them all!" He threw his hand as he summoned every guard he could, they started to push through the crowd as they made their way to the pirates. But as they did, many more started appearing from around the walls like an ambush. The fifty or so guards that were in the city, although heavily armoured, had just found themselves vastly outnumbered by the Champan forces.

"Eoleo!" Batta yelled suddenly. "How did they know where to find us?"

Eoleo tried to think as hard as he could, playing back as many events in his mind as he could. As he thought, he caught a whiff of the scent brought in by the pirates and carried by the wind. It smelt of a premium Champan ale that Eoleo loved to drink in parties.

"…That's it!" he yelled. "I ordered them to bring us some Champan ale to celebrate before we left this place!"

"You did?" Batta yelled back, still in disbelief. Eoleo quickly sprouted an idea. Looking at a shocked Sveta, he spat whatever saliva he had onto the floor.

"Sveta!" he called. "T-turn into a werewolf!"

"I-I…I can't do it properly without my Djinn…" she called back.

"Can't you do it without them?" he asked.

"U-uh….I d-don't know…" Sveta answered.

"Where are they?" Eoleo called back.

"I set them free…" she said quietly., just loud enough for Eoleo to hear.

"Agh…shit…" Eoleo murmured.

"I'm sorry Eoleo" Sveta called.

"Forget about it, look!" Eoleo yelled back, gesturing to the pirates that had broken the gate.

The Belinsk guards found themselves in a tense standoff with the partially drunk pirates, unknowing of the fact that the pirates fought best when they _were _drunk. As the stand off was taking place, the crowd started to cheer and jeer in support of the Champans and against the Belinsk guards, and more especially, Stamford on the execution platform. Stamford saw this negativity and his rage built even further, exploding.

"Shut up!" he roared. "Shut up! Can **any **of you bastards do anything right?"

He suddenly marched up to where Eoleo was, brandishing his knife. Eoleo started to panic, Stamford was going to kill him.

"I'll kill you all myself!" he screamed at the pirates, before turning at Eoleo. Sveta screeched in protest as Stamford grabbed Eoleo's neck with his hand tightly. Looking right into his face just as the fighting at the gate started, he spat on Eoleo's face.

"I'll reopen your damn wound…" he growled, shivering with fury. "And I'll do so much more. I'll pull your insides out and stamp on them, I'll ensure your death is the most painful death I've ever given!'

"Nooo!"

Stamford felt a powerful wave of energy coming from the noose next to him. The force triggered Stamford to stumble back, letting go of Eoleo. Turning, he gasped in shock and as Eoleo craned his head, he too knew why Stamford couldn't move.

Sveta was transforming. Screaming as loudly as she could, her fur grew wildly on her arms and face. Her snout grew outwards as entire body started growing and changing. Her scream slowly morphed into a howl and with great strength, she broke her arms free of her chains.

Eoleo has seen this before during the Grave Eclipse adventure, but he had never seen it used with such conviction and force before. Stamford staggered back, unable to believe his eyes.

"A-ah!" he yelled. He watched as Sveta grabbed the beam of wood holding all the nooses upright, ripping it down with a powerful force. Eoleo quickly sidestepped the crashing beam as it came down, loosening the noose instantly. The pirates watched as she lifted her free hand, sending waves of wind down towards them. With amazing precision, the winds cut the metal chains effortlessly, freeing everybody on the platform, Eoleo included.

Eoleo knew the first thing to do was to stand back and take cover. Running and dodging an uncontrolled swipe and the destruction of the hanging platform, he watched as she grabbed Stamford and lifted him into the air with both hands.

"Ngaahh!" Stamford yelled. "Let go of me, you bitch!"

Unfortunately for Sveta, her state had caused her to forget that Stamford had a knife to hand, meaning that as soon as he was grabbed and lifted, he plunged the knife into her hand. She howled in pain, dropping Stamford as he yanked the knife out of Sveta's bleeding hand, landing on the floor. Eoleo started to give chase as Stamford struggled to his feet and escaped through the crowd, but quickly turend to see Sveta turning back to her normal self. She sobbed in pain as she clutched her hand, where a smaller, yet deep cut wound was engraved into her palm. Eole grabbed her and held her tightly, kissing her forehead.

"Are you okay?" he asked. "You did amazingly!"

"Nng…my hand…." She uttered. Eoleo quickly shuffled around her, sopping wet from the rain that had now stopped, and held her face.

"I have to go after Stamford" Eoleo said. "Tell Batta to command our men. You _have _to get everyone to safety"

"But what about you?" Sveta begged. Eoleo tenderly kissed her mouth before standing onto his feet.

"I promise you, I'll be fine" he said. Before Sveta could get another word in, Eoleo hightailed it from the platform, pushing and shoving his way through the frantic crowd. He could see Stamford's blood soaked cape pushing through the last of the crowd and frantically climbing down the ladder and traversing his way across the stones into the Luna Tower. Eoleo gave chase, freeing himself from the crowd and pursuing Stamford into the tower. Inside, he could see Stamford frantically ascending the steps up to the balcony at the top. Bounding up every step, keeping his eye for Stamford's frantically trailing cape, he eventually reached the top, watching as the blue blur of the cape whizzed through the open door leading to the balcony. Sprinting to it, he reached the balcony and turned his head quickly to see the same blur running around for a ladder that went to the roof of the tower. Eoleo dashed up to the ladder, losing sight of Stamford before yanking on every rung, pushing his bare chested body right up to the cold atmosphere of the tower roof.

As soon as he got his footing on the roof, he felt the bitter wind biting against his skin. Despite this, the cold was not on his mind. He cast his gaze to Stamford, who had turned around and was on his knees, panting. Eoleo watched as Stamford fastened his breastplate onto his body, realigning his shoulder plates from the frantic sprint and adjusting his thigh plates at the same time, tightening their belt. Still panting, he started to growl.

"You…" he snarled, spitting onto the floor. "You don't give up at all, do you?"

"You're not getting away, Stamford" Eoleo yelled in the howling wind. "You've tortured me and my friends, brought a great city to ruin and instigated war; you've killed so many people. It's about time I beat the crap out of you, punch by punch…"

Stamford started to cackle, straightening up his back. He grabbed onto his crown and threw it away with a powerful fling. Eoleo watched the crown as it hurtled into the large area of sea that separated the tower from the back of the castle. The long, dark blue hair on Stamford's head unfurled, waving in the wind as it fell down to his shoulders.

"I have to admit, you impress me beyond belief" Stamford praised in his sinister tone. "I've seen many a solider before fight with an integrity that has stunned me, but none with such burning intensity as you. Despite it all, what do you hope to achieve by beating me to a powder here? Do you think that you can save yourself from the dire situation that surrounds us all?"

"Argh…the Bilibin troops…" Eoleo grunted, catching onto Stamford's idea.

"That's right" Stamford confirmed. "The Bilibin army is advancing here, and because of **you** refusing to sit still and die like the dog you are, I have been distracted for too long! Even now, if you were to let me go and allow me to command my armies, I would not be able to mount a resistance to save this city from its impending doom"

"Why did you do it, you coward?" Eoleo yelled. "Why did you instigate war with Bilibin and Sana?"

Stamford started to pace around Eoleo in a full circle, stepping around the fine edges of the tower roof. His hands were characteristically held together behind his back as he walked.

"You naïve little boy" Stamford tutted. "War is the driving force in this world. I have heard many stories about you and your little escapades. Stopping the Grave Eclipse, and yet you dare to ask me why I commit the violence that you so casually wrought upon others?"

"It was for the right reasons" Eoleo argued.

"And yet you still blur out the fact that you are a pirate!" Stamford shouted, ceasing his pacing and turning towards Eoleo, stamping his foot on the ground. "You and your father…both of you pirates. Pillagers, murderers, thieves…criminals!"

"He had to pillage!" Eoleo yelled back, a nerve touched. "If not, then his people…no, all of Champa would have starved to death!'

Sniggering quietly to himself, Stamford continued his pacing, walking slowly as he hummed to himself.

"That is exactly what I am trying to tell you, you fool" he continued. "You couldn't sustain yourselves without conflict, and yet you condemn me for doing the exact same thing. You're a hypocrite, Eoleo, and half the man you appear to be because of it"

"Taunt all you want, I'm still gonna beat the shit out of you" Eoleo growled. "Maybe I _am _just a lowlife pirate. But everyone in this city agrees that punching you into a bloody pulp is a good thing for Morgal. Your war was meaningless, the country was doing fine without it!"

"It is this lack of ambition is why the country would have eventually failed!" Stamford argued back, still pacing. "If we had sat around idly twiddling our thumbs like we have done for so long, then by chance another country were to flex its military strength and attack, then Morgal would be doomed" he explained. "I **had **to rid the throne of that sniveling peace-monger Sveta before she made the country vulnerable enough to attack! Can you not see, I am _saving this country!_"

"You don't get it at all, do you?" Eoleo reasoned. "War doesn't exist without war. Get rid of one war, and others will follow, even I know that!"

"Enough, you" Stamford spat, stopping his pacing once again. Yet he didn't turn around, he simply looked up to the sky and allowed his hair to blow behind the back of his head in the wind. "Like I said earlier, you were emotionless in bringing around the ends to many a life, be they human, beastman, animal or anything. I have heard fearsome stories about the little toy you possess called Psynergy; tell me, why haven't you showed me your little trick?"

"What?" Eoleo grunted, trying to catch his breath in the wind.

"At those stocks…if you truly possessed Psynergy, you would have burnt the entire contraption down. It was Sveta who freed you; that little dog grew up to be a beast and admittedly got the better of me before I sliced her hand right open with my knife"

Stamford flicked out his bloody knife, brining it up to his eyes and clutching it loosely.

"My Psynergy…" Eoleo thought. "_I know why…it's because of my wound. It took so much strength away from me, that, added with the long stay in the prison cell, was enough to drain all my Psynergy from me"_

He looked to his ship. _"Damn_" he thought. "_If only I hadn't left all my Djinn on the boat to begin with…this would have never happened! I could have easily blown this asshole away with one Searing Beam and it would have been no problem!_"

"I've had enough of talking"

Eoleo's thoughts were shattered as he looked up at Stamford, who had taken a step closer to him. He was brandishing his knife in a more battle-oriented fashion, gripping it so the blade faced away from Eoleo.

"I've always hated you and your kind" Stamford spat. "If you remember correctly, I said back at the platform that I would reopen your wound and stamp on your insides until your cries for mercy were but a faint whimper? Well, you've angered me enough now to do more. Once I've done that, I'll sever your hamstrings, tendon by tendon. Then, if you're still folly enough to try and stay alive to defy me, I'll finish you off by cutting your own head off, before proudly demonstrating it on the walls of _my _city!"

Then, with a great rush, Stamford rushed towards Eoleo with the knife in hand. Eoleo prepared himself quickly, ready to fight against Stamford atop the blustery tower.


	17. Chapter 17

Chapter 17

As soon as Stamford rushed at Eoleo, he swiped his knife at him, missing as Eoleo ducked beneath the swipe and quickly swerved behind Stamford, grabbing both of his arms and pulling them back. The two struggled momentarily before Stamford used his strength to break free of the hold, swiping once again. Eoleo quickly jumped back, feeling the swing of the small knife cut through the wind with a swift howl. Stamford didn't hold back, running at Eoleo for another strike. Eoleo moved his head to avoid the knife before going for a clear punch to Stamford's stomach. Unfortunately, he struck the armored chest plate that guarded Stamford's abdomen, reeling back in pain as his hand struck the solid metal with a thud. Stamford, unharmed by the attack, quickly grabbed Eoleo's arm, and with great force threw him over his shoulder and onto the ground back first, before readying his knife and kneeling down, aiming to slice Eoleo's throat open. Before his knife could reach the target, Eoleo quickly grabbed Stamford's knife arm, pushing it back. Stamford applied his free hand for extra force, the two of the pushing as hard as they could.

"I hope you haven't convinced yourself that you can beat me!" Stamford taunted. "Years of military service and training has made me far stronger in combat than you! Your punches are unrefined, and I can read you like a book!"

"Oh…yeah?" Eoleo stuttered, trying to stop the gleaming knife from ending his life suddenly. "Well…try and read this!"

Eoleo spat into Stamford's eyes, causing him to recoil. His pressure loosened enough for Eoleo to roll away, just as Stamford slashed at Eoleo, his knife clashing against the stone floor an inch from Eoleo's head. As Eoleo quickly rolled up onto his feet, he saw Stamford attempting another calculated strike. Eoleo, with his strong force, struck away Stamford's knife hand before landing a quick punch to his face. As Stamford staggered, Eoleo grabbed onto the hem of his breastplate, and yelling to summon his energy, ripping the breastplate clean off of Stamford, throwing it away. Hitting Stamford with a punch to the gut, doubling him over, he gripped the collar of the shirt he wore behind the plate and placed another hand on his thigh, before lifting him and throwing him through the air. During his flight, the fastener of his breastplate, which kept Stamford's cape and shoulder plates intact, had undone itself, forcing Eoleo to dodge the heavy plates as they fell down. Stamford landed with a violent thud on the floor, shaken and surprised that he had been lifted and thrown in such a manner. Standing up slowly to his feet, he readjusted his grip on the knife.

"I see…" he said quietly. "My armor was slowing me down. I'd like to think you were doing pretty well, but you were working at an advantage. Now things will be different…"

Grabbing the buckle that held his thigh plates together, he unblocked them with one pull, throwing his two heavy plates of leg armor away, leaving him in just a shirt and military trousers. He was of a stocky, powerful build, much like Eoleo, despite the many flecks of gray around his chest and forearms, revealing some of his age. As soon as he threw the plates away, he ran towards Eoleo, twice as fast as before. Eoleo quickly jumped back, but not before Stamford's slash could leave a slight, bleeding but across Eoleo's chest. Eoleo fell back in pain, but ignored the wound as he focused his concentration of the faster Stamford. He went for a kick, but Stamford caught Eoleo's foot and threw it away, tripping Eoleo onto his back. Jumping, Stamford went for the neck again, only for Eoleo to hold back his arm again. They were in the same position than before, fighting for their lives.

"Face it Eoleo, you can't beat me" Stamford taunted, revealing his spiky teeth in his grin. "No matter how much fight you put in, I'm always a step ahead. And don't even _think _of cheating"

Eoleo grunted, trying to hold back Stamford's knife. The sharp edge of the knife glinted in the dull light from the grey skies.

"…Die!" Stamford yelled, pushing as hard as he could. Eoleo's grip slipped as he pushed Stamford's arm, the knife slashing against his right arm. Eoleo yelled in pain, luckily the knife didn't go far in, but it was already a second strike against Eoleo. Clutching Stamford's arm, Eoleo had no choice but to try and use his Psynergy. Concentrating with a powerful determination, he surged heat into his hands, which started to burn against Stamford. He watched Stamford's face as it strained from the heat, before he yelled and pulled his arm away. Stumbling back, he held onto the singed hairs of his arm as Eoleo struggled back to his feet. The two closed in and started trading blows with each other, Eoleo being very careful to dodge the knife that Stamford was holding. Stamford swiped at Eoleo, only to find his arm caught and twisted behind his back. Eoleo applied pressure to Stamford's arm, twisting it behind him further. Stamford yelled in pain, trying to turn around and untwist his arm, but Eoleo was always a step ahead, moving in time with Stamford to keep his pressure going.

Eventually, Stamford's arm was twisted so far back that another tug would dislocate it. Eoleo was trying to force the knife out of Stamford's weakening grip, and within time had forced Stamford to relinquish the knife. As it dropped to the floor, Eoleo shoved Stamford away before swiftly grabbing the knife and hurtling it over the edge of the tower, out of reach. Stamford turned around, seething with anger.

"My knife…you're that desperate to die a slow painful death?" Stamford spat, panting heavily. "By doing that, you've removed your only option of a quick and painless death. Now I'll bring you to your knees…with my own fists!"

As soon as he shouted, the two clashed together, trading fists with each other at a fast, unrefined speed. Stamford kept a professional stance, but his fighting skills were only just able to match Eoleo's sheer power, his fists whaling on Stamford's body. As they punched on and on, Eoleo quickly gripped Stamford's arm after delivering a dazing punch to his face, throwing him down onto the ground. He quickly sat atop of him, striking his face as he tried to block Eoleo's hard-hitting punches with his fists. Each strike crashed against Stamford's skull, before a powerful punch struck his head against the floor. As Eoleo stood back to his feet, Stamford's nose started to bleed. Shaking his head, he neared Eoleo again, hitting him quickly in the face with a fast elbow. Adding a low kick that hit Eoleo's side, Eoleo blocked a two-punch combo that Stamford attempted, punching for his face. Stamford quickly pushed Eoleo's punch away, causing Eoleo to bend over slightly in losing balance, before Stamford unleashed a powerful chop to Eoleo's neck. Eoleo felt the stunning pain race right through his body as he stumbled forward, groaning in pain from the strike. Stamford quickly got behind Eoleo and wrapped his arms around Eoleo's waist, lifting him to the air and savagely slamming Eoleo on his back to the ground. Eoleo yelled in pain from striking the stone floor; his spine ached as he saw Stamford was now in the position that he had previously been in.

Lifting a fist, Stamford started to claw and punch away at Eoleo's face. Eoleo attempted to dodge the furious swipes, but a couple caught his cheeks, tearing bleeding claw marks across his stubbly skin. His swipes turned into fists as he punched at Eoleo. Each strike was like a hammer breaking against Eoleo's jawbones, fearing that they would crack or dislocate from the attack. Thinking quickly, he grabbed the next arm that flew at him, grabbing the forearm with both hands before twisting the skin in opposite directions. Stamford roared in agony as his skin was being twisted, throwing a clumsy fist at Eoleo to try and stop him. Eoleo easily maneuvered his head to avoid the fist before letting go with one hand and whaling Stamford's head with a strike so powerful that it threw Stamford right off of him. He tried to get to his feet, but the punches had left him dizzy: he knew that if he kept taking strikes, then the fight would fall out of his favor. His slash wounds were already stinging madly and his body was aching from the fighting.

Stamford got to his feet, also dizzy.

"Hah…hah…my, my, Eoleo! All that…blood…" he taunted, gasping for breath.

"You're not in…good shape yourself…" Eoleo taunted back, taking a step closer. But as he stepped closer, Stamford surprise attacked Eoleo with his most devastating move: a direct punch to the stomach.

Eoleo felt his entire body tingle before a huge surge of pain erupted from his stomach. He couldn't believe that he had forgotten about his wound. Defeat flashed in his mind. He tried to will the pain away…but it was just too much for him. He could feel Stamford twisting his fist agonizingly slowly, making it worse.

Screaming, he fell to his knees as Stamford stepped back, clutching the scar where his wound was, still partially raw and weak. Stamford raised his right hand triumphantly and struck Eoleo down to the ground, still clutching his wound. Cackling, he threw his shirt away, flexing his chest muscle, before putting his hands to his sides and stepping about the defeated Eoleo. Spitting blood onto the floor, Stamford begun to tut quietly.

"Pitiful…" he panted. "You were…so cocky a few seconds ago….and now look at you. On the floor…not even on your back, holding your little wound"

Eoleo's screaming had stopped, but he still writhed with pain from the attack. He could feel a tear or two forming in his eye from the strike; the pain was beyond immense. He felt as if he was going to be sick. As he struggled to his side, he could see Stamford's boot, before his whole knee as he knelt down.

"Now that I have my breath back…" he said, before coughing loudly. "I have something I wanted to say to you. Remember when I said that the Bilibin army was coming?"

Eoleo was unable to respond, to which Stamford cackled even more before continuing, looking down at Eoleo. He grabbed Eoleo's long hair and wrenched his head so he was forced to make eye contact.

"Well, I hope you're listening, because I have a proposition" he offered. "The way things are going, the both of us are only going to tire out, and one of us will surely die. Now, I might like my fights and my power, but even in a time like this, I preserve a degree of common sense, something that you prove to be lacking in after challenging _me _to a fight" he taunted. "That Bilibin army won't be here for some time. Why don't you and I prepare ourselves to take them out? You still haven't shown me the true extent of your Psynergy, even if you claim you don't have any left after that little number you did on me a while back. Well, we have time to build up your strength and heal those wounds for good, big boy. How about we band together: with my military precision and your power, we'll bury those fools. Hell, we can even get Sveta involved: I'm sure she can conjure some storms for us to help the cause. What do you say?"

"Go…g-go fuck yourself…." Eoleo uttered. Stamford hauled Eoleo up to his feet by tugging at his hair. Eoleo grunted in pain as he was forced to his feet, only kept up by Stamford's painful grip.

"Now don't be so stupid, you asshole" Stamford growled. "Do you want everyone to die?"

"I'll…I'll never help you….a-and neither will Sveta!" Eoleo yelled.

"I had the feeling you would be reluctant…" Stamford said quietly. "I thought you were a pirate. Whatever happened to that free, anti-hero spirit of yours that you displayed so proudly back in the days of the Grave Eclipse? All those tall tales Sveta told me about you and your kind must have been just that: tall tales"

"I am a pirate….b-but I don't work with…the likes of you" Eoleo resisted.

"Of course you don't" Stamford continued, looking right into Eoleo's eyes with a powerful, piercing stare, his bloodstained face sneering slightly. "You want your freedom, don't you? You want this nightmare to end, hm? Whatever way you look at it, this place…this city is finished. But that doesn't mean you can't escape! Why don't you help me attack the Bilibin army, and then while they hide away to regroup, we'll take the chance and you can escape with your crew _and _Sveta"

"You…y-you can't do that…S-Sveta is the rightful queen…" Eoleo uttered in defiance.

"Not after the Bilibin army are done with us" Stamford spat. "I'll re-forge this place after our attack into a great city and a great country as well. Then you won't ever have to come back, and as a final offer, I'll even leave Champa alone in my campaigns. Now, will you finally put your fists down and accept my offer? Or do you want me to use my claws…" He produced his claws and showed them right in front of Eoleo's eyes. "…and bore a hole through you, _rip your heart out_ and parade it around this doomed city before its final moments? Or, even better, I'll decapitate you and place your head upon your own ship before I claim it and all your crew as my own! Accept the damn offer and let's be done with it!" he yelled.

Eoleo' still shivering and reeling from the pain he was suffering, looked up to Stamford's eyes. He could tell that he was going to be seriously hurt, and possibly dead after what he was about to do. But he knew fully well that Stamford was wrong. He knew fully well that Stamford was a madman, and most of all; he knew that Sveta would never forgive him if he were to accept his offer. So, preparing himself for his final act of courage, he shook his head slowly.

Stamford watched in disappointment as his offer was refused for a final time. Tutting, he frowned in discontent.

"Shame" he said quietly. "And I was beginning to believe that I could convince you. Too bad, time to die"

"Nooo!"

The scream came from the side of the two. Eoleo recognized the voice as being Sveta's; as Stamford threw his head around to look, Eoleo felt his chance come. He struck Stamford in the stomach with a revitalized energy, forcing him to let go. Eoleo understood how to cause pain just as much as receive it, and forcing Stamford to submit to his pain was the only way he would defeat him. Quickly stepping behind Stamford, he took a deep breath before grabbing his left arm, restraining the flustered general. Then, with a mighty blow, he brought his free arm down on the back of Stamford's elbow.

A sickening crack was audible as Eoleo felt his arm break through Stamford's elbow, cranking it backwards on itself. Stamford screamed in anguish, his arm just being dislocated from the elbow. Letting go, Eoleo watched as Stamford held his stiff, broken arm, tumbling to the floor. Dislocation was one of the worst known pains that Eoleo had ever felt: he had had a few mishaps himself as a child and he knew that it was certainly a game breaker. And in this case, Stamford's game was over.


	18. Chapter 18

Chapter 18

Stamford was still screaming in pain as he collapsed onto his knees, caressing his dislocated arm. Both Sveta and Eoleo watched as he held his wound, in extreme pain.

"Agh…you bastard!" Stamford yelled. "I-I won't be undone by this…."

Even Eoleo felt his stomach churning sickly as he watched what Stamford was about to do. Grabbing the dislocated section of his arm with his free hand, he started to pull at it. Sveta placed her hands to her mouth, almost unable to watch as Stamford tugged at the arm, trying to pull it back into place. The pain was evident in Stanford's expression as he pulled: veins started to pop out by the sides of his head as his eyes squinted. He roared, not giving in to the pain.

Like a flash, his arm suddenly lodged back into place with a crunch. Eoleo flinched at the cracking sound as Stamford's screaming ceased suddenly. His face quickly adorned a blank expression, almost as if his body had short circuited from re-adjusting his arm. The atmosphere was thick and tense, was Stamford fixed already? Eoleo realized how tired he was himself, desperate to get some breath into his body, his stomach still pulsing in pain from Stamford's attack. He knew that if Stamford got back up to his feet, ready to fight, then Eoleo wouldn't be able to put up another fight.

The rain started to pour down heavily once again as Stamford got up onto one leg. Eoleo sighed in sheer disappointment, afraid that not even a dislocated arm could stop Stamford. Stamford looked with an indescribable expression. It looked almost like his face was angered, but shocked and petrified at the same time. His face glistened from the rain as the rain fell down harder, pattering against the stone floor of the tower.

Eoleo watched as Stamford's eyes rolled into the back of his head as he grunted, collapsing into the floor, panting heavily. He clutched his arm, and within minutes, he had lost consciousness from the pain. Eoleo could hardly believe his eyes when he saw Stamford give in to the pain. He was far from dead, but what was important was the fact that Stamford wasn't able to fight back from the pain. He had lost the fight.

As soon as the realization came that Eoleo had won the fight, Sveta threw her arms open and ran as fast as she could towards Eoleo. Eoleo turned around to be almost ambushed by Sveta's embrace, taken aback by her. She was giggling to herself as she held him, overcome with joy.

"You did it!" she said, calming down a little and looking at Eoleo's face, beaming. Eoleo, also happy that the ordeal was starting to come to an end, smiled also.

"Don't you mean _we _did it?" he asked. "If you didn't distract him then, it would have been over for me"

Sveta looked down, humbled by the compliment, before leaning up and kissing Eoleo tenderly on his mouth. The entire scene felt very romantic and clichéd to Eoleo, cherishing his victory in the pouring rain with his newly beloved. He held onto Sveta tighter, holding onto her wet hair, the braids undone by the rain. Eoleo put an arm around her head and pressed her head softly to his bare chest as she pulled away from the kiss. Their embrace was tight and passionate; there was a strong sense of defiance in the air as they held each other.

"It's over" Eoleo said quietly. "Stamford won't bother you anymore"

"I'm worried though…"

Sveta pulled her head away to look up at Eoleo, her face reflecting her words.

"Sveta, why?" Eoleo asked, his hand encompassing her cheek, rubbing the droplets of rain from her face with his thumb. Her eyes drooped slightly with her ears.

"S-so much has happened here…" she whispered. "I feel so guilty that I let my city…my country turn into this. So many enemies have been made, and now they're all coming here for us…"

"Well there's one thing to do, right?" Eoleo suggested. "You did exactly the same to me when I did it"

"What are you talking about?" Sveta asked. Eoleo smiled, feeling warm despite the cold of the rain.

"When I was broken down and near death, I raised the white flag of surrender and you took me into your arms without hesitation" Eoleo said. "Now it's your turn to raise those flags. Throw down the weapons Stamford raised and be the leader you were born to be"

"But Bilibin can be such a harsh country sometimes…" Sveta whimpered, clenching onto Eoleo in frustration. "And with Lady McCoy now in charge of them, she'll only take pleasure in claiming Morgal for herself"

"She won't" Eoleo protested. "Maybe tensions between you have been rough, but even I know that Bilibin didn't want to start a fight with Morgal. Maybe building this country back to it's glory and peace is gonna take a long time, but…"

Eoleo kissed Sveta's forehead softly, stroking her hair back before caressing her chin.

"…Until this clears up, I'll be by your side" he said delicately. "Okay?"

Eoleo then let go of Sveta and turned to look at the raging oceans around him. Despite their violent, thrashing nature, the view of the blue seas calmed Eoleo somewhat. He was fully aware of the turbulent time ahead, but he was confident that things would finally clear up, to which he could finally go back home to Champa, where he belonged. He relished the thought: he had so many stories to tell and it had been a long time since he had last seen Obaba, his great-grandmother. Finally, everything seemed to be heading towards a brighter future.

"Let me go!"

Spinning around as fast as he could, Eoleo gasped as he saw Stamford back up on his feet, holding Sveta in front of her with a knife to her throat. Eoleo started to yell in frustration, seething in rage: he was _convinced _Stamford had been beaten down for good.

"You bastard! Aaaargh!" Eoleo yelled, grabbing his hair in sheer anger.

"Rule…number 404 in the military manual…always keep a spare knife" he panted quietly. Sveta was petrified: the blade to the knife was stroking against the fine, invisible hairs on her neck, threatening to cut it and draw blood from her.

"Let her go, now!" Eoleo demanded, stamping forward. Stamford's cackling stamped out Eoleo's brave act.

"You really believed you had me out for the count, eh?" he taunted, toting the knife in his good arm. "After listening to all that dreck about surrender, I just couldn't take it anymore! I'm not going to stay down quietly and watch the both of you make a further sham of my country…"

Eoleo had never felt so angry before. He gritted his teeth, a renewed energy was filling inside of him with his anger. His hand started to burn; he could feel his Psynergy bubbling within. Clenching his fists, he started to summon his Psynergy to his hand, ready to unleash a fiery beam. Stamford smiled as he saw Eoleo gathering his strength.

"So…you're finally going to show me some Psynergy?" Stamford asked.

"I'll burn you to a crisp..." Eoleo grunted, struggling to concentrate amidst his near blind fury. Sveta said nothing; she was still in shock at having been accosted by Stamford, having been incapacitated merely minutes ago.

"Is that so?" Stamford hummed. "And you're perfectly willing to strike the one you love down in the process?"

"I know Sveta'll be okay" Eoleo growled. "As a Psynergy user herself, she'll be able to resist my Searing Beam attack. You, on the other hand, will die"

But as convincing Eoleo thought his threat was, he found it shunted once more by Stamford's seemingly illogical confidence. He watched as Stamford laughed, edging slightly closer to the edge of the roof.

"Maybe so…" Stamford said after his cackle had finished. "But I doubt you realize how close my knife is to Sveta's throat. Even the slightest jerk backwards for me will plunge this blade right into her throat, ending her life. It doesn't matter how much 'resistance' she has to anything, she will **not** resist this knife sinking into her neck!"

It was true, and Eoleo knew it. Disappointment and sheer mental pain sieged him, culling his energy growth as he came to realize that he couldn't shoot. It didn't matter about Morgal to him; a life having brought about the death of the one he cared for would not be a life worth living anymore.

"Eoleo…don't listen to him" Sveta pleaded. Eoleo's eyes opened in shock as his drooped head sprung back up in surprise. Sveta was as still as a statue, but she still spoke with the same determined voice as he she had when stopping the Grave Eclipse.

"Shoot him" Sveta said suddenly after a tense silence.

"No!" Eoleo blurted out, hardly able to believe how the scenario was developing.

"Please…" Sveta said quietly, suppressing her tears. "I've only come to know you so well in such a short time…and I'm sure of it now; I love you"

"Sveta…you can't say that!" Eoleo pleaded. "I won't shoot, I won't!"

"Eoleo, don't do it for me!" Sveta begged, watching as a tear started to moisten Eoleo's eyes. "Do it for Morgal…for all the people who desperately need salvation. I don't care about the future now: I've spent all the time I wished I could have being in love, and it's been wonderful; even if it's only been a few weeks. They have been the best weeks of my life…and for my country, I'm ready to die"

Eoleo fell to his knees, holding his ears with his hands.

"Stop!" he yelled. "Stop!"

"Well Eoleo, are you going to listen to her?" Stamford goaded. "Are you gonna shoot me?" A dejected Eoleo tried to come to decision, between love and life, realizing that there was no true decision to be made. He knew that neither would make him happy anymore, and he slammed his fists against the floor, screaming to himself. Tears started to roll down his eyes as the rain poured even harder, thunderstorms cracking all around the tower. His heart and his mind conflicted; he felt sick and diseased. He wished that he never came to Belinsk, he started to wish that he would have died on the boat, just so he could avoid the decision he had to make at that moment.

His mind set. Controlling his tears, he started to shake his head slowly.

"Sveta…" Eoleo said quietly. "I'm so sorry…but I won't do it"

"Then I will" Sveta said quickly, spreading out her free hand, holding it out so her palm faced Eoleo. Stamford was slightly surprised, but Eoleo looked up to see Sveta ready to use her own Psynergy.

"No, you can't leave me like this!" Eoleo begged, crawling a few inches towards the two. Stamford was still tittering quietly to himself, amused by the whole scene. "**Sveta**!"

"Stamford…I'll kill you myself…." Sveta growled, focusing her energy. "I have just enough energy for one attack…" As Eoleo protested, a few purple orbs started to appear in the air around them. Eoleo has seen the attack before; she was going to use her Sonic Slash Psynergy.

"Hah hah…" Stamford grunted, his smile vanishing. "I didn't see this coming"

"Maybe this will kill me as well…" Sveta snarled, clenching her fists, the orbs becoming brighter and more scythe shaped. "But it'll kill you too. When I said that I'd die for my country…I meant it. Any last words, you vile dog?"

Stamford closed his eyes, sighing to himself. Eoleo couldn't believe it was about to happen: Sveta was going to sacrifice her life to save Morgal. He wanted to run up to them and pull Sveta away, but he couldn't take the risk of getting Sveta killed on accident. He could only watch as Stamford's smile vanished. Stamford appeared to have accepted defeat, his face somewhat humbled by the unexpectedness of Sveta's bravery.

"You are a fool"

Sveta, whose eyes had been closed, ready to unleash her attack on Stamford and herself, opened her eyes in confusion. She was expecting a blown out speech about patriotism, but instead, he gave his insult as a response. Eoleo was confused too, trying to figure out Stamford's mentality.

"Fool?" Eoleo asked.

"You are both fools…" Stamford sighed, opening his eyes. "Sveta, you say you will die for your country, yet you forget the one thing that has ensured my reign from the very beginning"

"…Ah! No, how could I forget?" Sveta gasped, realizing that in the heat of the moment, she had forgotten about the Psynergy Vortex machine that Stamford was in possession of. Stamford quickly produced the previously hidden controller from his belt, waving it into the air with his damaged arm.

"Isn't it funny how I'm always one step ahead of you?" Stamford noticed. "You can be as much of a martyr as you want, but I'll send this place into oblivion before you get the chance to kill me. Face it: you have no hope of seeing your dreams through while I'm alive! Your death will be all for naught, and so will the many innocent civilians killed in my Psynergy Vortex!"

Sveta, who was just about to unleash her Psynergy on Stamford, recognized that her suicide wouldn't help. Overwhelmed by hopelessness, she sighed in exasperation, dropping her opened hand limply. Her entire body slumped slightly as she submitted. Eoleo was still conflicted between emotions, he was happy that Sveta wasn't going to take her life, but still gutted that Stamford was going to get his way.

With the controller still in the air, Stamford cleared his throat, shaking his head from the rain.

"I'm a little pissed that this has dragged out so long" Stamford spat. "I've learnt that I can't trust you anymore, Eoleo. I withdraw my previous offer"

"I didn't want to accept your damn offer anyway!" Eoleo yelled, getting up to his feet, still pulsing with whatever energy he had in reserve.

"It matters not: you will comply to my demands now I have Sveta here as my bargaining tool" Stamford growled. "You will march right down to the plaza and tell your pirates to lay down their weapons. I'll have all of you executed with this very knife, including Sveta, and once you're all off of my chest, I can carry on with my operations"

"Screw you…" Eoleo snarled. "I won't do anything for you"

Stamford suddenly grabbed Sveta tightly and hoisted her and himself to the edge of the platform. Eoleo gasped, stepping forward to try and stop him.

"No, what are you doing?" Eoleo yelled, his hand outstretched towards them. Stamford was angry, his breath was hissing through his gritted teeth.

"You think I won't do it?" he barked. "You think I won't throw her off the tower? Do as I say and lay your head down for me to cut off! Do you want Sveta to die?" he yelled.

"No!" Eoleo screamed.

"Then on your knees, you ingrate!" Stamford ordered. Eoleo couldn't make a decision; it was either his life or Sveta's. He valued the two just as equally, there had to be another way out of it, he thought.

"P-Please Stamford, give me another choice to make!" Eoleo reasoned suddenly, coming as a shock to Sveta. Stamford was also surprised, but felt stronger in the situation.

"Another choice?" he asked. "Have you lost it? I'll not give another choice, but I'll tell you what I will do…"

"What?" Eoleo asked, desperate to discover the answer to his predicament. His heart froze as Stamford neared the edge even further, dangling off of the side with Sveta just about to fall off.

"…I'll make a decision for you!" he screamed. "Goodbye, Sveta!"

Everything seemed to freeze. Sveta started to scream as Stamford dropped his knife, grasping onto Sveta's shirt. Eoleo yelled out in exasperation as he watched Stamford hold onto the writhing Sveta, who was desperate to gather her Psynergy. But before she could, Eoleo's heart froze in thorough disbelief as Stamford threw Sveta right off of the tower. The last Eoleo saw of Sveta was her teary face yelling out to Eoleo. Eoleo yelled her name back, in the vain hope that it would somehow stop her from falling. But it didn't; she vanished from Eoleo's sight as fast as he called out for her, one last time. A fork of lighting erupted from the sky, silencing Sveta's scream for help, and as it subsided, he could no longer hear her. She was gone.


	19. Chapter 19

Chapter 19

Eoleo couldn't stop his tears from escaping his eyes. His head fell in defeat; he clenched his fists in fury.

"Now, time for you to die…" Stamford sneered. At that moment, Eoleo's rage overflowed as he stood up, screaming.

"You **bastard**!" he screamed. "**Die**!"

Throwing a single hand out, his fiery energy directed itself to his hand. A powerful beam of heat fired through his hand and right at Stamford, who was taken by surprise by the attack. Stamford was unable to dodge the attack, and the narrow beam shot straight into Stamford's stomach, breaking right through his body like butter. Eoleo threw every ounce of energy into the beam, which didn't perfectly emulate the strength of his Searing Beam attack, yet was still powerful enough to break a small hole through Stamford's abdomen.

The beam dissipated. Stamford's eyes and mouth were wide open, his voice was completely silent as he stood there, his hand floating around the small hole in his chest. There was little blood for the heat of the beam had welded the bleeding wounds shut, leaving just abscess. Eoleo panted as he put his hand down, drained from the attack. He felt a slight satisfaction at seeing the damage he had caused, but he was still furious with grief.

"…A…Ah…I-Incredible…." Stamford wheezed, wincing in extreme pain. "S-so that is Psynergy…s-so…s…so powerful….a-ahh…"

"You…never gave me the chance to tell her that…I loved her" Eoleo snarled, shaking with rage. Stamford staggered backwards, tipping against the edge of the tower. Another step and he would fall off.

"I-I should have just k-killed you and Sveta…while I could…" Stamford sputtered. "How c-could I…b…be such an i-idiot? I had everything...under control, in...t-the palm of my hand..."

And as he took another step back, his foot failed to find the ground. With a dying yell, he stumbled off the edge of the tower, falling down to his death. Eoleo watched as Stamford vanished from his sight.

Collapsing to his knees, he ran his hands through his hair, his face blinded with tears.

"Sveta…" he whispered, sniffing. He grabbed his hair and pulled on it, a few loose hairs being pulled out in frustration and agony. His heart was seizing up in sadness, his vision started to spin in dizziness from the emotional overflow. Sveta was gone, out of his life. He couldn't believe that all the plans he had made in his head weren't going to happen, for they all included Sveta in some from or another. He had found that she was the person who made Eoleo feel so much more complete. To resign himself to the fate of being alone in the world without her caused his hands and arms to tremble. Slamming his fists against the ground, he took in a harsh breath.

"SVETA!" he bellowed, before slamming his fists and his head to the floor, crying. He came to realize that without Sveta, his life would have lost so much purpose.

"…Eoleo!"

Eoleo's head shot up. He heard the voice come from the balcony below him.

"...Sveta?" Eoleo hummed quietly, noticing his name being called. His heart jumped. "Sveta!" he yelled, his hopes rising dramatically. Stumbling to his feet, he looked down to the balcony to see a single hand clutching onto a groove at the very edge of the balcony. It was a clawed hand, small and delicate; it was Sveta's hand. Acting on impulse, Eoleo hopped down from the roof onto the balcony, leaning over to see Sveta holding on for dear life. Eoleo quickly held onto Sveta's arm with both of his hands.

"You're still alive…" Eoleo said tearfully, beaming.

"Eoleo…I-I can't hold on…" she uttered. Eoleo quickly nodded his head and shook his tears away before beginning to hoist Sveta up. But as he did, he noticed that Sveta was thrice as heavy as Eoleo had anticipated. How could she be so weighty, he thought.

"Argh…you're really heavy" Eoleo grunted, pulling.

"E-Eoleo…" Sveta stammered. "He's….holding onto my leg"

Eoleo almost let go in shock. His eyes opened in sudden disbelief, before leaning over the balcony just a little further. His fears were confirmed.

Stamford had grabbed onto Sveta's right calf, having dug his claws into her trousers and skin, a bleeding trail rolling right down to Stamford's own feet. He had one eye open, his expression was weary, but he still had a sickening grin on his face.

"Stamford!" Eoleo roared.

"Geh heh heh!" Stamford cackled. "If I'm going down…_then I'm taking you and this whole damn city with me!" _

Raising his free arm slowly, Eoleo discovered that Stamford has kept a tight grip on his Psynergy Vortex controller.

"No Stamford, don't press that button!" Eoleo pleaded. "Think about the innocent lives you'll end! Don't throw away the last piece of dignity you have!"

"_**Goodbye!**_" Stamford shouted, pressing the button.

Like a flash, there was a huge tremor, which caused Eoleo's grip to slip on Sveta. He started to panic as he attempted to reassert his grip, but before he could, a giant explosion rocked the giant body of water that separated the tower from the back of the castle. A great plume of water shot up into the air at the center of the pool, the tremor of the explosion causing Sveta to let go of the tower. Eoleo held on as hard as he could but his grip slipped again.

"S-Sveta!" Eoleo yelled amidst the commotion.

"Eoleo!" Sveta yelped in stark fear, before their grip broke, causing her and the cackling, dying Stamford to fall down into the waters below. Eoleo felt his stomach churn in horror as he watched Sveta fall down to the raging water below, screaming out his name. Determined not to let Sveta leave his life, he threw all caution to the wind, stood up, took as deep a breath as he possible could, and leapt off of the tower, following the two down into the waters below.

Crashing into the seawater, he felt the extreme chill of the water almost paralyze him. Some of the salt water entered his lungs as the impact forced his mouth open temporarily. Cutting out the cold through sheer mentality, he frantically swam to the surface.

As he surfaced, he could see Sveta struggling further up ahead. Stamford had vanished underneath the waters, condemned to drown. The hole at the bottom of the seabed caused by Stamford's bomb had started to take in water, slowly transforming the large area of water into a raging whirlpool. Eoleo knew that if he didn't rescue Sveta and escape the pool quickly, the whirlpool's centrifugal motion would suck the both of them down to their deaths. And worst, glancing upwards, he could see a small black orb appearing in the air above him. The Psynergy Vortex was forming.

Fighting against the growing current, he started to swim his way towards Sveta. He could feel the draining properties of the Psynergy Vortex starting to sap away whatever strength he had left. Refusing to give in, he pushed forward with determination, getting closer and closer to Sveta. She vanished beneath the water, forcing Eoleo to dive for her. Squinting to navigate the cold waters below, he could see Sveta's outline, struggling to reach him. Reaching his hand out, he hoped that his reach could get to her.

He felt a hand take his own; pulling the hand back to the surface, he managed to bring Sveta's head above the water. Sveta, who was coughing violently, having taken in a lot of seawater, was hoisted onto Eoleo's back as he started to swim for the small patch of land below where his steel cage used to hang some time ago.

The whirlpool had grown stronger, and as Eoleo threw back another glance, his heart sunk. The Psynergy Vortex was growing to full size, and Eoleo could feel its effects ripping away at him. His lungs and chest pulsed with pain and he was losing the feeling in his legs, but he still refused to give in. Swimming for his and Sveta's life, he pushed harder and harder, despite starting to lose feeling in his arms. The small piece of land was getting closer and closer; Eoleo started to yell from all the pain.

Finally, having resisted the whirlpool's full powered suction and the sapping of the Psynergy Vortex, his hands reached land and he hoisted himself and Sveta onto dry ground. But he couldn't go on. He quickly rolled onto his back and let his head fall to the ground, panting. The feeling was gone from his arms and legs and his heart was pounding against his chest, every beat bringing a wave of pain to Eoleo's chest. He felt little, he knew that he was going to die from the over exhaustion.

Sveta gathered her strength and tried frantically to lift Eoleo from his back, failing due to his heavy weight. She started crying, becoming desperate.

"Eoleo, please stand up" she whimpered, tugging at him. "Eoleo, you've got to stand up! You're going to die if you don't…"

Eoleo could hear Sveta's voice and he felt guilt overcome his mind as he realized that not only he was doomed, but everyone in Belinsk. He cursed silently to himself, he had just inadvertently failed to save everybody by taking himself out. He desperately tried to move, he had to warn everybody to escape, but he just couldn't shift himself from the floor. This was it, he thought. Stamford truly had won this time.

"S-Svet….uuughhhh" Eoleo grunted. A tearful Sveta knelt next to Eoleo, despite her bleeding, muscle torn leg and cradled his hear in her arms.

"Eoleo…don't die on me now…" she begged, wiping her eyes as he kissed his forehead, yearning to inject some life into him somehow.

"Forget me, Sveta…" Eoleo coughed. He knew this was it; the Psynergy Vortex was going to kill him, as he lay there, unable to move. "T-the citizens have to evacuate…"

"I won't let you stay here!" Sveta yelled, still trying to pull Eoleo up to his feet. She watched in horror as Eoleo's body started to become limper. "Eoleo!"

"Sveta…" Eoleo breathed, trying to keep his eyes open. "I-I…love…y-you…and I'll see you s-soon…"

Eoleo watched his own eyelids close against his will. Stealing a final glimpse of his beloved, cradled in her arms, he exhaled and urged a final smile before he felt everything in his body shut down and enter what he expected to be a final, eternal darkness.


	20. Chapter 20

Chapter 20

_"So this is the man?"_

_ "Yes, Lady McCoy"_

_ "Hmm…he's a fine looking man. He was the one who rescued you?"_

_ "Yes. He also killed Stamford"_

_ "Such heroic deeds…it's a shame that he's in this state"_

_ "Our doctors said he's going to wake up at some point today, judging on blood pressure levels and such"_

_ "Don't fret, my little lady. Your darling Eoleo will be fine"_

_ "…I have to apologize for all of this once again. It's because of my weak leadership abilities that this has all happened"_

_ "We all make mistakes, now, there's no need to get all weepy eyed. When my husband retired and handed his title to me, I wasn't popular with the people of Bilibin. It takes time to win over your country's heart"_

_ "I suppose you're right, Lady McCoy"_

_ "Oh ho hoh! I suppose I am, hm? Also, you have to remember that you're trying to usher a new age of peace that you're people aren't used to! It will take time for them to get used to it, you know"_

_ "…Thank you"_

_ "It is no problem. Now, we need to have a chat in private about the damages of the war"_

_ "Of course"_

As if waking from sleep, he opened his eyes to find himself in a familiar scene. He could feel a soft blanket thrown across his entire body; his head was propped up against a pillow.

"Good morning Eoleo"

Eoleo squinted his eyes, trying to adjust his eyesight and rid himself of the blur that affected his vision. Rubbing his eyes, his vision became clear and he could make out a grey plat of braided hair hanging by the side of his head. Moving his head, he came face to face with Sveta, who was dressed in clean royal robes for once, a tiara placed firmly on her head.

"I…I'm alive?" Eoleo asked, a little confused. Sveta giggled and kissed Eoleo's forehead tenderly, smiling warmly.

"Can you sit up?" she asked, a fresh spring in her voice that had been devoid for so long. Eoleo shuffled in his bed a little to check for any sore pains: none. Hoisting himself up on his arms, he sat up and rested his back against the head of the bed. He was back in the same room he had spent his recovery in, with the same duvet and the same chair where Sveta sat.

"I thought…I thought everything was doomed!" Eoleo said with wonder, swiftly regaining his senses. Sveta tittered a little, shaking her head to disprove Eoleo's fears.

"It kinda looked like that at one point, didn't it?" she noted. Eoleo started to smile; it felt good to be living again.

"So tell me, what happened?" Eoleo asked. "How come everyone in Belinsk isn't…well, you know….dead?"

"Putting it simply, Stamford's plan didn't work out as he hoped" Sveta revealed. Eoleo hunched his eyes, trying to understand the situation.

"Didn't work?" Eoleo asked. "But…I saw the Psynergy Vortex and everything"

"So did I" Sveta confirmed. "But it looked like Stamford didn't understand the capabilities of his machine. He seemed to get the machine from Konpa Ruins, and according to researches that found the machine; it was already pretty worn when Stamford activated it. Plus, with all the explosions and water piling down on it, it didn't function as well as it should have"

"You're saying the Psynergy Vortex wasn't big enough to kill everyone?"

Sveta nodded in confirmation

"That's right" she said. "Including you"

Eoleo chuckled, calm on the outside but overjoyed on the inside.

"Lucky me, huh?" he chuckled. "How long have I been out cold for?"

"Two days" Sveta chuckled, before she leant in and the two kissed. Eoleo was tempted to pull her onto the bed as a joke, but that ran the risk of someone walking in on them, so he stayed where he was and continued to kiss her. She had gotten a lot better at it and it was far more enjoyable than their first one, now that neither was looking at facing death anymore.

As Sveta pulled away slightly, she licked her bottom lip quickly, her eyes closely examining Eoleo's eyes.

"I've been thinking…" she said quietly. "This whole ordeal has brought us much closer together than I thought it would. We've cried tears for each other, shared laughs with each other, kissed each other…well, I think we've pretty much done it all within the space of a few weeks"

"Well, not everything…" Eoleo said slyly. He then started to snigger, as Sveta understood the insinuation, reacting with a humor and shock.

"Eoleo, how could you?" she teased, pretending to slap him. Eoleo started to bellow out in laughter, the two of them chuckling heartily with each other. Sveta, now on her feet, reached her arms around Eoleo's head and kissed him again.

"I know it's been a short time…but I don't think I've ever been so sure of myself about something before" she said. "I _know _that I love you"

"Ah…you're too sweet, Sveta" Eoleo said quietly. "…You know, you're the first person I've actually felt this way about. I've been with women before, but if anything, they've just been flings, one-offs…you know, being on the sea doesn't give you much time to get close with the ladies you meet at different towns. Not one has wanted to set sail with me…"

"I know you'll be leaving us soon…" Sveta said somberly, looking down and sighing in disappointment. "But it'll be okay…we'll be in touch, won't we?"

Eoleo softly kissed Sveta on her forehead, taking her face into his hands again.

"You bet" he replied. "I'll be the new leader of Champa before long. I have to start making some international relations and stuff, and I have to start somewhere, right?"

A question then popped into Eoleo's head as he cleared his throat softly.

"Say, what happened after the Psynergy Vortex broke down?" he asked. Sveta let go of Eoleo's head and rested back in her chair, clearing her own throat.

"The Bilibin army arrived shortly after you lost consciousness" Sveta explained. "I remembered what you told me on the Eclipse Tower and raised the retreat flags as highly as I could"

"I thought I could hear you talking with some other woman in here…you called something, Lady McCrab, was it?" he asked. Eoleo's question was met by a giggle, thanks to his inaccuracy.

"You mean Lady McCoy" she corrected him. "Yes, she's the leader of Bilibin. She's here right now, actually"

"So what's gonna happen to Morgal?" Eoleo asked, slightly fearful that things will have changed thanks to Stamford's war.

"Well…the bad news is that we're not getting let off lightly" Sveta explained. "We get to keep our country and our land, but we have to pay a hefty war fine for damages. Its war regulations: the loser has to face some sort of punishment. Our military's been cut down as well…significantly" she revealed.

"That's harsh…" Eoleo said quietly. But Sveta let out a beam, placing her hands on her lap.

"But I don't care" she added. "I'll do whatever it takes to get this country back up on its feet. And for the military, they can slash away at it all they want. The only military I need are the ones that'll protect the country, not ones that'll set out to conquer and create war. I've had enough of war, and as long as I live, I'll convince my people that peace is the way forward"

"Spoken like a true leader" Eoleo complimented, nodding his head.

"I guess Lady McCoy has been very helpful as well" Sveta continued. "She could have relished her army's victory over us, issued the fines and just left us here in a mess, but she's offered us aid and protection whilst we heal our national wounds and get back up on our feet"

"That's very nice of her" Eoleo noted. "You should take note; that could be you one day offering your help"

"I know…" she said quietly.

"Hey, what about Sana?" Eoleo asked suddenly.

"Sana have decided to stay out of this" Sveta revealed. "Part of our fines goes to Sana anyway. I'm going to hold a conference to try and bury our past sour relations when things are looking a bit better. I want to get along with Bilibin and Sana now, not remain bitter and cold"

"And for me?" Eoleo finally asked. Sveta fell a little quiet, preparing her words.

"Well…I think it's time for you to leave" she said quietly, looking up at Eoleo, her ears drooped. "As much as I've loved your company…you have to go back to Champa. I've kept you for longer than I wanted. Though if I could have things my way, I'd have you stay here by my side"

"Aw, Sveta…" Eoleo tutted, standing from his bed and taking Sveta into his arms. Sveta wrapped her own arms around Eoleo, resting her head against Eoleo's chest, sighing quietly.

"I promised myself that I wouldn't cry when this time would come" she said quietly, her voice quivering.

"It'll be just fine" Eoleo reassured. "I'm not gonna forget you. Not after all we've been through. Once things are stable back at Champa, then I'll come and visit"

The following day, Eoleo was aboard his own boat with his faithful crew, all ready to leave Belinsk after a long and arduous stay. The entire crew bar Eoleo had taken up their positions on the boat. It was in the middle of the night, so the only person who was standing on the dock facing Eoleo on the boarding plank was Sveta herself.

"Well…it's been quite a ride" Eoleo said, looking around.

"When will you be back?" Sveta asked.

"I don't know…but I promise we'll keep in touch with letters. You'll have to forgive my handwriting; I've been told it's pretty crap"

Sveta started to giggle; since falling in love with Eoleo, it really felt as if she were meeting him for the first time. She leant forward and kissed him softly, causing the pirates behind to whoop and cheer. The two of them blushed, flattered by the attention.

"Right" Eoleo said clearly as Sveta stepped away. "Time to set sail"

"Goodbye, Eoleo" Sveta said calmly, keeping her nerves in check. She gave him a quick kiss before stepping back. "I love you" she added. Eoleo responded with a nod and a smile, before closing his eyes and taking a long, deep breath. He would remember the smell of Belinsk well, until the next time he returned.

Turning his back, he marched up the plank and up onto the ship. He stood next to Batta, the two of them looking at each other with reassuring, friendly gazes, before turning to Sveta. The crewmen started to haul the plank away as Batta turned to head for the wheel of the boat. The rowers were set to work and the boat slowly moved away from the harbor. Sveta followed the boat down the dock line, waving to Eoleo as they continued to move away. Eventually, she could proceed no further and continued to wave the boat and Eoleo until they were just a speck on the ocean. Regardless, Sveta continued to wave as they vanished from her sight.

Having gone, Sveta lowered her arm and turned around, looking to the empty plaza. It really had been a wild ride for her. She had survived a usurpation of the throne, various injuries and fallen in love with the least likely man. Despite the disaster that the whole situation brought, she felt the need to cherish it, to remember it and learn from it. Feeling her weariness set in, she sighed and walked back to the castle, closing another chapter in her life.


	21. Final Chapter

Epilogue

"Ah…it's so good to be back home, eh Batta? After a few days being home, it still feels like we just got back!"

"That's right, captain. A fine job well done"

"You know Batta, you should find yourself a wife. You'll be a great dad, I'm sure"

"What makes you think that, my boy?"

"Well…you're kinda like a father to me now Dad's not around anymore"

"…Eoleo, I want to tell you something. I am a father"

"Batta, I didn't know that! For how long?"

"Well…it's a closely guarded secret of mine, and you're the only one who knows other than the mother of the child. Let's keep it that way, eh?

"You have my word. Now, don't be such a sore ass; tell me!"

"Hah hah! Well, you needn't know the name until the wedding"

"Wedding? This just gets better and better; how long have you been a dad for?"

"…Well, three weeks"

"Batta…you mean…"

"Yep…I became a dad whilst I was locked away in that dank cell in Belinsk"

"Congratulations! Oh wow, this is amazing news!"

"It's secret news, my boy. Nobody knows who the father is: I'm going to reveal to everyone tomorrow about the wedding and who the father is…"

"You're a sly one, Batta"

"Guess I am, eh?"

"A boy or a girl?"

"Boy. He'll grow up to be a fine, strong man"

"And his name?"

"…Briggs. His name is Briggs"

"…Batta, no…"

"It's the right thing to do, my boy. Your father is the main reason that I am the man that I am today. He taught me so much about being an honest pirate, to pillage for good intentions. To serve him and you as first mate has been the joy of my life, so in dedication, we named our little boy Briggs, after your father"

"Ah Batta…that's awesome…"

"And I know who I can count on to babysit little Briggs when I'm busy!"

"Hey, why are you looking at me like that?"

"I'm gonna make sure he starts calling you Uncle Eoleo, the same way you used to call me Uncle Batty when you were just a tot!"

"Hah hah hah! Hey, I completely forgot about that name! Maybe I should call you that on our next voyage!"

"Hey, catch!"

"What's this?...Champan ale?"

"A toast…to our survival, and your new love!"

"Eh heh…yeah, to that"

"Perk up, boy! This stuff practically saved your life, remember?"

"You're right…if I hadn't ordered this via that carrier pigeon, then it would have been curtains for us! Say, why the hell did it take so long for the ale to get to Belinsk?"

"Funny you should say that; I was having a chat with the captain of the delivery boat about the same thing. They say you ordered so much ale that they had to make more to match the demand!"

"But…I thought I only asked for 50 bottles of this stuff!"

"Fifty? More like five hundred!"

"What? I didn't write that down!"

"Well, according to the delivery captain, that's what you wrote. Maybe you weren't paying attention?"

"…You're saying a few seconds of not paying attention actually saved our lives?"

"I wouldn't tell everybody else about that"

"Heh, that's damn right. If anyone heard about that, I don't think they'd be impressed"

"Good thing the ale didn't go to waste. You're drinking one of the bottles now"

"Ah…the sweet taste of life. Doesn't get better than this. Jeez, everybody must have thought I was organizing a giant piss up in Belinsk!"

"…I got the feeling we'll be going back to Belinsk pretty soon"

"What makes you think that, Batta?"

"Haven't you heard? They say the Mourning Moon's appeared near Mt. Aleph"

"That's supposed to be a huge Psynergy Vortex, isn't it?"

"Yep"

"Urgh…I've had my fill of Psynergy Vortexes for the time being"

"Well, they say it's a pretty big deal and that leading countries and their leaders are meeting up to discuss it"

"…Sounds like an excuse to go back to Belinsk, eh?"

"You've caught my drift"

"We'll give it a few weeks. I wanna get used to home again before I set out anywhere. Remember, I'm the leader of Champa now. I gotta get used to meeting and greeting the citizens before I go vanishing to conferences I shouldn't even be at!"

"…But you're still going to go, right?"

"Hell yeah! We may not be pillaging or being 'pirates' as much as we used to, but there's one thing I still love doing, and that's living dangerously!"

"Just like your Dad…"

"And when the time comes to gatecrash, I want you there"

"Consider it done, captain"

"Good. Now, a toast. To life!"

"To life!"

*clink*

**I hope you enjoyed the story, I always wanted to give this pairing a proper go and not a one-chapter short story like before, so I'm glad this attempt came out as a successful churn with no writer's block. And now, for some trivia! About the origin of the story, I initially had the idea from a failed one-shot I tried writing on this pair after writing Successors, where Eoleo got wounded and healed by Sveta. I decided to make it five chapters following the same plot, expect Stamford would have been supremely confident, pretty clumsy and most importantly, without a machine to back up his plan. The aim was for Eoleo to stamp his coup out quickly by picking up the Herculean Axe, which he would have left in Belinsk by accident before leaving. I started writing the story whilst this was in mind, but when brainstorming ideas, I found that Stamford could potentially be a more cunning villain, so I decided to elaborate on the story, add Batta to give the Champan pirates an extra dimension and develop some of Eoleo and Briggs's seafaring past, and also added the whole section about Stamford's war with Sana and Bilibin. And to think that this story was going to be a short, quick flick? Well, I do write my quick flicks now and then, many are shown in my other stories across the Nintendo franchise. Give them a go for me, and bye bye!**


End file.
